


Corona and lime

by Point_of_no_return



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Corona virus meet-cute, Dysfunctional Family, Family Bonding, M/M, Quarantined Together, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23288023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Point_of_no_return/pseuds/Point_of_no_return
Summary: Schitt's Creek was nearly shut down save for the absolute necessities and essential workers. David Rose and his father Johnny did their best to respect the guidelines from the Prime Minister, but it was making the Roses stir crazy.David takes morning walks to clear his head and literally stumbles into serendipity.OR the AU we all knew would happen eventually
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Comments: 66
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **UPDATE APRIL 4, 2020 - - -  
> **  
>  **Hey friends, for those of you who have followed this story, thank you for being here on the journey.**  
>    
>  **  
> **Wishing and hoping all of you are staying safe, are in good health, and are in sufficient economical standing during these times when it has been a challenge knowing what is around the corner. We all don't know, but Dan's encouragement to do the right thing is the positive reinforcement and reminder that there are people who are taking this seriously. For me, I am encouraged knowing everyone else is at home (well I hope anyway) just as I am, doing the right thing. It's tough and lonely sometimes, but this fandom makes the pain of it all feel a whole lot less.**  
> **
> 
> **This AU centers on the strangers to lovers aspect more than anything and how two people can still fall in love despite the six feet of distance. There will be less and less mention of the virus and more focus of their relationship. I wanted this to be a positive story since that is what we all need. Everyone lands safely. I will update regularly.**
> 
> Someone recently promoted:  
> “The entire world is being directly affected by covid-19, therefore anyone in the world who wants to do so is allowed to write Covid-19 Romance Fic featuring their favorite characters.”
> 
> Just a reminder.... this is an AU and AU’s aren’t for everyone. In the times of crisis people act a little differently than they normally would, we all do. So Please enjoy, the Roses grow a lot within this story.

Chaos. Turmoil. Pandemic. Epidemic. Social Distancing. Panic.  
  


Those were the emotions and words of what seemed like a new age. To the Roses, all they wanted was to get back to being normal. Ugh, but what was normal anyway? Their normal was living in a 20,000 square foot mansion with wait staff, a groundskeeper, pool technician, and wifi networks that worked in every room. Their new normal had been for them to live in a 300 square foot motel and that was to fit all of the Rose family together between the adjoining rooms. There had been no clear wifi signal, the towels were fourth-rate at best, and David had to purchase himself a second-rate quality bedspread to keep his morale somewhat treading water, even if that bedspread had been a “write-off.” The Roses believed it couldn’t get much worse than that, they had hit the bottom of the bedrock and there was no way of getting any lower. Especially since David’s retail job had just come to an end with the Blouse Barn going out of business and giving up the name to a franchise in Australia. 

  
No, this was the new ‘new normal’ where even Cafe Tropical was off limits, not that David was complaining much. He despised all of the food choices there anyway. What really got to his last nerve was all of the complaining the women in his life incessantly exasperated him, as if he were the cause for all of their woes. He wasn’t alone, though. Johnny, his father, with his own cool way of trying to hold it together during these trying times, was also in the fiasco with David. Most of the time when the wailing began with his mother, Johnny took the reins. When Alexis became her natural nasty self due to the spread, David would soothe her with updates on TMZ about fallen celebrities she used to date or the tragic love life of Jared Leto. Somehow Moira and Alexis needed to be reminded the sky wasn’t falling every five minutes, at least that’s how David felt every waking day of the quarantine. 

  
Tying up his shoes and stretching his legs for a second before going out the door, David recalled yesterday’s motel room seven uproar.

_  
“John! Oh, John! I cannot live like this! That girl at the front desk told me we cannot upgrade the channels on the TV and I am dying! I am dying, John! I cannot even drive to Schitt’s Thrift Sparkly Beauty to get my conditioner for Candy and Janet! The girls need their conditioner, John! They will suffocate!” Moira’s screeching was at her highest and if anyone had been in the other rooms, they surely would have given their complaints to Stevie Budd._

_  
“Now come on, honey, it isn’t that bad. You haven’t even left the motel for them to need extra conditioning anyway. Just sit back in bed and get yourself comfortable enough to sleep.”_

_  
“That’s just it, John. As soon as I start the process of intermittent despairing slumber, the nightmares of being separated from the girls plague my every rapid eye movement!” Somehow the whining had been too much to bear that Alexis swung the door open to yell at her mother._

_  
“Shut up, mom! Can’t you see we are all in a crisis? This isn’t just about you! Ted was supposed to take me to Elm Dale this week! It was all so we could be introduced to the farm animals we were going to start surgical procedures on! I missed out on all the little lambies and ponies,” Alexis pouted._

_  
“All right, Alexis,” Johnny groaned. “And never speak to your mother that way. I mean it!” Poor Johnny had come to the end of his rope._

_  
Alexis huffed and turned on her heels back into David and her shared room, locking the door to her parents’ room. David had managed to grab one of the cups of yogurt from the mini fridge during the scuffle and handed it to Alexis._

_  
Jesus fuck. This was going to be one long stretch of time if this kept up._

* * *

David had been walking down the narrow road, puzzled with his anxious thoughts and feelings about how messed up the whole damn world was. He was angry with his sister who he had to constantly keep from going to the Wobbly Elm to pick up randoms and to keep his mother from assembling the Jazzagals. 

David wasn’t a stickler for many things, but he was adamant about keeping his distance and respecting others by doing so. Plus, David wasn’t much for any kind of nearness to anyone anyway and he just recently got over the entire fiasco with Jake and his proposal for a throuple with Stevie. 

To David, this social distancing was of the utmost importance to protect his family and the small number of friends he had made in Schitt’s Creek. The only thing he couldn’t comprehend was seeing the lack of humanity in people not adhering to the directive of the authorities telling everyone to stay away from beaches and other large gatherings. At times, David wanted to throw his phone thinking of the sheer stupidity of some people not respecting the six foot boundary limit and allowing the risk of getting others infected. Some people, as David had come to discover during his lifetime of being rich and famous, were narcissistic and self serving. He witnessed on social media many of his old friends from an old life partaking in non-cancelled concerts, lounging with large groups on private beaches, and lavish debaucherous house parties. It seemed like half the world was taking the epidemic seriously while the others acted above it all. It was enough to make him sick.

  
Rather than follow the many rabbit holes over social media to only further his frustration with current society, he decided to take walks to perhaps center his thoughts on the better things. The lovelier things in life. What better to do that than to leave the musky old motel at dawn to see the begging sunrays of the day dance along the creek.  
  
It was where David could go to think and recharge. If he were being honest with himself, he rarely ventured outside of the main town, it took a virus sweeping the nation to get him a little uncomfortable, which he actually found to be the most comfortable he had been in quite a long time, if ever, since moving to Schitt’s Creek.  
  


Walking down the road to admire the Bradford Pears and fig trees was something he could do to make the time go by and he hoped that in doing so, he would clear the mess in his head, and there was so much. Having to feel like he was the only one responsible, apart from his fearless father, the only time he felt he could leave room seven at the motel was early in the morning. Early for David would normally be 8am, but in the time of Corona virus, it would need to be, gulp, 6:30am. An entirely ungodly hour for David Rose. 

  
Picking up a little more speed, but thankfully not enough to break a sweat while wearing his beloved Valentino shirt, he rounded the corner and felt a slight pain in his left foot as if something was off in his step. Another step was taken and down into the grass he went, tumbling and cursing to himself in not such a soft spoken manner. 

  
“Fucking shit! What was that?” 

  
David upturned his foot enough to see that a sharp rock was wedged in his $900 high tops. He took a deep breath, which meant he puffed out his cheeks and then let it out as he pulled the stone from the sole. 

  
“Dammit!”

  
Suddenly he heard another voice.  
  


“Yeah you probably shouldn’t be wearing those!” The voice called and David searched it out with his sunglasses still on. He saw a man wearing a light grey shirt that clung to his chest and dark grey shorts.   
  


“Shouldn’t be wearing what?!” David said incredulously, eyes still searching frantically.   
  


“Those shoes! Not for running at least!”  
  


David used his hand to shade his eyes from the sunlight peeking over the land. “Uhm, okay strange person who knows everything, but I wasn’t running, I was walking fast, if you must know, and I cannot control the rock population on the asphalt!” The nerve of this guy telling David what to do.   
  


The man threw his hands up in surrender. “Sorry man! Just trying to help!”   
  


David removed his sunglasses with a deliberate movement, but kept his other hand shielding his eyes. He blinked his eyes to look a little bit clearer towards the strange man and could take in more of this guy’s features. The man was grinning. He was fucking grinning and it elicited a loud huff from David.   
  


“And what are you laughing about over there, nameless person I don’t know?!”  
  


“Nothing, it’s just, I’m sorry. You’re right.” The man took a few more steps and that’s when David’s breath caught, he could see the man’s smile and it sent lightning bolts through his body and down his spine. He knew right then and there that this man could smile all day if he wanted to, especially if David were the reason for the smile.   
  


David shuffled his feet just a little bit closer and the other man reached the end of the property he was standing on.  
  
  
“Hi,” the other man said, “we got off on the wrong foot.” David shot the man a death glare. “Oh!” The man began to laugh again, but this time it was an innocent chuckle. “No, that’s not what I- look, I’m Patrick.” Then he offered a small greeting of a wave to the man he had been teasing. 

  
David took a small step forward, but still allowed for the suggested six foot distance. “I’m uhm...I’m David Rose.” He offered an awkward wave in return.   
  


“Well it’s nice to meet you, David. And hey, you picked a nice morning to go on a power walk. I just got done hiking and it’s a really nice clear day for it.” He folded his arms casually and kept a sweet smile on his face as he spoke. “And sorry about the rock in the shoe, that really did look painful. Did you need a bandaid? I could find one for you.” David rocked back on his heels, this person he just met had been insulting him and now he wants to help with a bandaid over his injured foot.   
  


Where did people like Patrick come from?

  
“Uh no, that’s fine. I’m trying to do what’s right and not have too much contact with the outside world, ordinances and all. You understand.” It wasn’t a question. David was being forthright and set the boundaries which were never a thought before the Corona outbreak. 

  
“Sure, David. I’m going to go inside, but if I can suggest, there’s a store down the street that sells athletic footwear and would be much more appropriate for…for power...walking.” Patrick blushed and David took sympathy for him. He was trying to make up for the teasing by being sincere. 

  
“Thank you, I don’t know if I’ll be doing that, but I appreciate it all the same.” Patrick backed up from where he stood and turned towards the house. 

  
“See you around, David. Hope the foot gets better and I respect the distancing thing, just so you know.” 

  
“See you around, Patrick.” The stranger had disappeared into his home after he had looked over his shoulder sparkling one winner of a smirk leaving one David Rose feeling dumbfounded as he turned on his own heels away from the property. 

  
David began walking again and the adrenaline pumping in his veins as he made his way from the house, his breath quickening as if he had already been on a hike of his own which he hadn’t been because he was too busy being enamored with the man he had just met with honey brown eyes and auburn hair. 

  
That’s when he realized the man was no longer a stranger, but an acquaintance, and at six feet of separation he could handle that just fine. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta dawns_early_light for the direction this went. It was fun writing this with them.

Just a couple of steps into the threshold and Patrick was able to release the breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He had only gone for a light jog in the area, but his heart was racing like he’d been in a 400 meter dash on an incline. 

_But why_?

He opened the pantry to retrieve a bottle of water and a Cliff bar before wiping the sweat from his brow and pacing around the living room to lessen the rapid beating in his chest. He checked his pulse and counted each thud pounding away. 

It was that man, _David_. “David Rose,” he finally said out loud, letting it wash over him and as he closed his own eyes he saw David’s which were the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen and how is that possible to think that about a...a man? Though he was a striking man and could tell straight away he knew how to take care of himself. He looked like someone out of a catalogue he’d seen before, one of the J Crew ones where the men lounged in elegant attire and several paragraphs were written in excellent succession of detail and refinement. If only he could have taken a better look at David, a much closer view. This was not the time to have those kinds of fantasies, though, not in the time of a global pandemic.

So that must be it, this new friend in his life causing him aortic palpitations. Can he call him a friend, though? They just met and David wasn’t exactly in a good mood, not that he knew what moods David could get in, but he wanted to know. Hoped he would get the chance to see him again. David’s high pitched volume and expressive eyebrows made him bite his bottom lip, and wow, what a feeling that was. 

_Oh god_ , and the facial expressions David had made in less than a two minute time span were enough to send shivers up his back and through his neck. Never had he been so taken with someone who acted notably angry before. Patrick wished David had stuck around; what with Patrick just getting started with the poking of this particular bear. One expression he wished he had seen was a genuine smile, however, Patrick had been too much of a troll in their introductions to win David over like that. 

Suddenly Patrick was aware of how much he wanted to win David’s smile and make him laugh. He bet David had a decent one with how low of a register David’s voice was. Someone with a voice that deep had to have a hearty belly chuckle or a quick little hum of a giggle, surely. Never before had Patrick thought about someone’s characteristics after just meeting them.

Patrick took a mental spreadsheet of David’s face journeys and moods. It was all too much happening and Patrick’s chest was still aching. 

There was something exceptional about David, he seemed truly unique from anyone Patrick had ever met, there was no comparison really, and there again began another round of intense heartbeats. 

God, that’s quite an impression. None of the women he has come into contact with, not even when he dated women in college did he ever find his heart losing itself. He had met so many gorgeous females in all of the extracurricular activities and on spring break trips would admire their flawless, tanned skin on the beaches. David’s olive skin looked smooth and gorgeous and for a moment he drifted into the what-ifs and if-onlys in his head. If only this weren’t a time to not touch. Patrick needed to touch David, to feel him. 

Wait, what did all of these feelings mean? Could Patrick like men romantically? The thought had never crossed his mind before.  
  
So he let himself think it over for a moment, sitting down in the wooden dining room chair, thinking of...Jennifer Aniston who was the most attractive woman he’d seen in Hollywood. He thought of her breasts, the shape of them, how he’d seen her nipples breaking through the white fabric of a Friends episode and how the rain washed over her. 

To Patrick’s dismay, it did nothing for his libido. In fact he felt his heart rate slow and beat at a normal resting rate. Aniston was beautiful, though, and he could appreciate that. 

Patrick took a deep breath and a few more sips of water to recenter himself. Even with that, his leg still bounced nervously against the chair leg, much like his thoughts as he tried to make sense out of all of this. Without realizing it Patrick’s thoughts had wandered from Anniston to Brad Pitt, who seemed to be every straight woman’s, and let’s be honest, probably also every gay man’s celebrity crush. He thought of the pronounced bone structure in his jaw and along his back, the muscles he’d seen in Meet Joe Black and how his physique was second to none in that film. And that, _that_ energized his sex drive. His pulse quickened a little and he blinked through the feeling, but he wasn’t experiencing what he had when he met David. _Huh_.

So thus began the thoughts back to David in his tight shirt and shorts.. Oh that, that did it. Patrick splayed his sweaty palms over the wooden surface and tried to steady his breath. All he could think about was how the man’s nipples jutted out through the fabric of his shirt and showed David's muscles expertly, as if the shirt had been sent down from heaven to top David. 

It was wrong to be daydreaming after someone he just met. He had to remain cool. “Cool boy, _real_ cool,” Patrick sang out loud and snapped his fingers like he was one of The Sharks. The snapping and singing helped and he adjusted himself under the table. He was relieved to know Ray wouldn’t be making himself breakfast for another hour which saved him the embarrassment of trying to explain his unusual behavior.  
  
If someone had told him his morning would begin with a jog and end with dirty thoughts and him humming the lyrics of West Side Story, he would have thought they were mad. Yet, here he was in the uncoolest of the uncool states.

_Yeah, you really know how to keep your cool, Brewer.  
_

The thing was, Patrick had always been a take charge kind of guy, so the fact that his normal processing was going haywire was new to him. The Patrick he had always been would never have feelings so out of control that lust and infatuation were playing ping pong inside of his chest. This feeling was new and it all generated when the man across the street fell into the grass and spouted profanities. He wondered for the first time what it would sound like for this man to be shouting _fuck_ and _god_ but in an entirely different context. 

Never in his jean clad, buttoned up demeanor did he ever have these thoughts, but he liked them and wondered if this is what the meaning of being truly free felt like.

Patrick could be David’s friend, he thought. He could orchestrate his feelings in such a way to tame them and shape them into a friendship. Maybe he could repeat the same routine as this morning and perhaps he would run into him, at a safe distance, of course.

The clock read 7:30am and how on earth did he lose an hour? He only had about 20 minutes to shower and get down to the office, which luckily was just downstairs. That was quite convenient. Ray wasn’t too concerned about how much time Patrick spent in the office since the global shutdown, but Patrick wasn’t the kind of person to cut corners. Ray managed so many different properties in town which meant Patrick had his hands full. When the rest of the world shut down, Real Estate agents needed to stay alert of everything. Patrick and Ray knew life would eventually go back to normal and the work would be there whether they were prepared or not. And they really needed to be prepared for any kind of possible scenario.   
  


Patrick rushed up the stairs and stripped out of his running gear in the bathroom as he ran the shower. Steam immediately filled the small space. 

He slid into the shower, pulling the curtain behind him. Patrick didn’t always have the best body wash, but his favorite female cousin bought him a new L'occitane body wash, Eau des Baux, and it smelled of bergamot, cypress, and vanilla. It was the right amount of manly scent that made his dick respond again. The loofah was lathered with just enough of it to cover his body and leave him wanting to come back to the shower later. Time under the steam and water hung much longer than he expected and anticipated, what with running his hands all over his body feeling the suds wash away from his porcelain skin. Breathing in the cypress, inhaling the warm notes.

Then he thought of David. “David,” he said out loud again and he giggled and leaned against the porcelain tile thinking of him.  
  


God this man was really doing something to him and they exchanged maybe ten words. His body fully rinsed, Patrick shut off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, tying it at the brawny muscle. 

This was good, he would see him again. He needed to.  
  


“Don’t rush into this, Brewer”, Patrick thought. He knew he still had so much to process with the major inner topic being his newly discovered interest in men, but it wasn’t about just any man, it was the ethereal beauty he’d just met and made him feel for the first time in his life, utterly and profoundly alive. 

Somehow, in the back of his mind, he knew this was the start of something brand new. Something wonderful. Patrick could feel it in his bones, even if all that materialized was a friendship. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my sweet friend Vanillahigh00 for the quick beta work and to chocobos for getting us all introduced and engaged with the sprinto writing bot.

**  
** Dawn broke and Patrick was ready for the day and for whatever came. It was the first day after meeting David Rose and he had a plan.  
  
As Patrick stretched on the front porch, he attempted to calm the nerves that crept through his body, urging their way to his heart.Luckily, he was able to relax long enough to focus on the mission at hand. He was determined to talk to David again, perhaps making himself look like a fool in the process. Because as he heard Elvis sing recently on the radio, “only _fools_ rush in.” Except Patrick had overcome a lot of his own preconceived notions about himself overnight, and he was willing to take charge of the situation. So if he crashed and burned, hopefully just metaphorically, at least he took the risk.

After just meeting David Rose, Patrick didn’t fear taking risks at the chance to get to know him. **  
  
** And then, as Patrick pulled his knee up to his chest to complete the set of stretches...there he was, with his high tops, short-sleeved shirt, and running shorts. He was beautiful.   
  
“Hey there!” Patrick called from the porch and suddenly he realized he probably seemed a little too chipper for this guy who so clearly wasn’t a morning person. 

David whipped his head around and nearly flung his glasses off.  
  
“ _What_ ?! Oh...it’s _you_.” This didn’t throw Patrick off at all, in fact the way David seemed to shrug him off was quite endearing. “Well?” David muttered and moved his upper half in question, “something you want to say?”

“Nope!” Patrick said. “Just going for a jog myself and didn’t want to waste this beautiful morning,” he replied with a big grin, approaching David. 

“My, how convenient for me,” David said, but there was no real bite to it. “Just make sure you stay on that side of the road, thank you so much.” 

“No problem David, and this road is seven feet wide so we are in the clear.”

“Great.” His voice dripping in sarcasm.  
  
Patrick hadn’t asked David if he was comfortable with jogging alongside him. “Mind if I join you?” Not the best line, but he was trying.  
  
“I guess?”  
  
“Is that a question?” Patrick teased.  
  
“No- I - it’s fine. But if you can’t keep to my pace then…”  
  
“Oh I won't have a problem with that,” he replied with a cheeky grin. It must have worked because David nodded, and they kept in step with one another, enjoying the asphalt beneath their feet and the company they kept.  
  
  
They jogged for a while and made their way a few miles before David decided to stop in at the local market for a fresh bottle of water. Meanwhile, Patrick mustered up the courage to ask David over, but just as a friendly meetup.   
  
“You didn’t have to wait for me, I don't even really know you. We just met literally yesterday,” David said. **  
  
**“Oh I know, and I wanted to. It’s nice to see people outside of the video calls and Ray.”

“Yeah, I don't even want to know what it’s like living with that man,” David instantly regretted the words. Perhaps Patrick and Ray were friends.   
  
“I get it, no harm done. Ray and I are coworkers and roommates. I only just met him, but he is a nice guy, though.”   
  
  
"Mmm, I'll take your word for it." David gulped his water, and Patrick was awestruck watching the muscles in his neck move before he decided to return to the jog. 

“Okay David, let’s get back, I have to start work.” So he began to jog back, and David kept the pace back to where they started, talking and laughing about the squirrels crossing the street and crawling up trees or about the lack of certain produce at the store.   
  
  
He meant to save his breath as each step hit the pavement, but he was all too eager to talk to his new acquaintance. “I saw a meme earlier about toilet paper.”  
 **  
** “Yes, so what was it?”  
  
“I think it said, ‘howdy, I’m the sheriff of stop buying all the toilet paper’ with a bunch of emojis of a smiley face with a cowboy hat and a body made of toilet paper.”   
**  
** David laughed, and it was the first real genuine laugh Patrick had seen from him. He wanted to see it again, but the moment was short-lived because they rounded the corner and approached Ray’s house.   
**  
** “Well that actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.”  
 **  
** “Awe, that’s so sweet, David. I’m touched,” Patrick teased. “So you think you’d be up to going on a hike tomorrow instead? I know a good place.”  
 **  
** “Can we just slow down a minute? I don’t really know you and I feel like-“ Patrick’s face fell and David felt it instantly and regretted it. “Okay, so maybe that came out harsher than I meant it. It’s just, what are we doing here?”  
 **  
** “Oh, you’re right. Yeah we don’t know each other and so you should just go back to your normal routine.” Patrick was crushed and David was stuck in a weird position. “Well, hey, it was again nice to meet you and jog with you. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime, David Rose.” David looked flushed upon hearing his name from this man, his new...friend?   
  
He turned on his heels back to the house to die of absolute embarrassment.   
  
“Wait. Uhm.” Patrick turned his head back towards David trying to mask his hope. “What’s your.. your last name?”  
  
“Brewer.” It dawned on him he never provided this information.   
  
“It was nice to meet you, too, Patrick Brewer.”   
  
Patrick flashed his winning smile and disappeared into the house. 

* * *

**  
  
**

Never shying away from a routine, Patrick got up a little earlier than he had the day before. Thoughts and feelings about David Rose had bounced around Patrick’s head all night long, and as a result, he didn’t sleep well. He grabbed his electrolyte bar and CamelBak as he headed for the door.  
  


 _Knock knock knock.  
  
_  
Putting the hose that was connected to the backpack to his mouth, he sucked gently as he opened the door.   
  
His mouth dropped, letting the valve fall from his mouth. There stood David with what looked like a walking stick.   
  
“David, hi- what-“  
  
“Sorry about yesterday. I had a lot going on at the motel...where my family and I live. Look I didn’t mean to be rude…”

A fond grin started forming on Patrick’s face, and his joy was contagious. “It’s fine, David. You don’t owe me anything.

“I know that. I just… well do you still want to go on that hike? I’m easy either way.” David bit his own lip at calling himself _easy.  
_

“Yeah, I’d like that. Do you need any water?”

“No, uhm. I’m good. I actually didn’t know how this was going to go, so I planned to go on my own. I packed a lot of snacks

“I’m sure you did, so yeah, let’s get to it.”  
 **  
  
**So off they went on their separate sides of the road and headed towards Rattlesnake Point which was a little off the well-beaten path. David started to panic, debating whether or not to go on a hike with a man he just met, but their conversation flowed smoothly, and it was as effortless as breathing.  
  
“So you don't actually seem like someone who enjoys hiking, not to make assumptions.”  
  
“Oh assume away. I’ve actually been leaving the motel a lot lately, doing different things I haven’t done before.I heard it’s best to have a good routine of staying somewhat in shape, besides my mother has been driving me up the wall, so.”  
  
Patrick smiled at the confession which seemed to make David’s cheeks turn pink.  
  
“But that is correct...I am not the kind of guy who... _hikes.”_ _  
__  
_“Uh huh, well lucky for you, I know most of the hiking trails around here like the back of my hand, so if you ever want to know about one that you haven’t tried, I’ll tell you all about it. There’s actually a state park close-by called Devil’s Den with numerous trails and a cave called The Ice Box. That is...if you’re ever feeling adventurous and wish to explore a bat cave.”  
  
“ _Ew_ , that’s a hard pass.”  
  
“Well you don't actually see the bats, but they do live there. It's nice, though. It's kept 60 degrees the whole year long.”  
  
"Still, _Ew."  
_  
Patrick smiled. He was increasingly becoming more and more attractive to this man; it was something about how sure he was of his interests and disinterests. David was absolutely grounded in who he was.  
  


* * *

  
  
They began the trek up the Rattlesnake Point trail and the stick David brought for the walk was put to good use. _  
  
_ “So I know you said your last name is Rose, is that the Rose Video Rose?”

“Ah yes, the same. You found me out.”

“I used to work for a Rose Video.” David paused on the hike. “You did?”

“Yeah, store 785.” Patrick kept his pace and David followed.

“So did you google me or something?” David looked suddenly insecure. 

“Yeah, gathered some friends together, looked all through Google. We talked about it.” 

**  
** David paused again.

 **  
** “I’m kidding, no one looked you up. Do I seem like the kind of guy who would do that?”

“No, not really.”  
  
“Good. No, it’s in the eyebrows. I think I remember meeting Johnny at some point while I worked there, it’s doubtful he’d ever remember me, though.”  
  
They got to the clearing, and wow, it was breathtaking.   
  
“So tell me, David, did you bring that walking stick for hiking purposes, or was it meant to be used as a possible weapon?”   
  
David swung his head over with that cute sideways grin. “Uhm, both?” Looking sheepish and innocent at the same time.   
  
“Noted. And I’m guessing it’s also 6 feet long?” Patrick smiled knowing the obvious answer. David rolled his eyes.  
 **  
** “Mmhm, that’s correct.”  
  
“Okay. Well let’s just sit here and take in the view for a while and then head back.”

They sat and watched the hawks circling the sky lazily, the valley below illuminating from the rising sun as they sat back and took it all in.   
**  
** David was the first one to break the silence, though nothing about the situation was awkward. 

“I kind of feel silly, you know? This is so out of my comfort zone.”

“What?”

“This. Hiking. Or any kind of physical exertion in the outdoors.” Before Patrick could get lost in the thoughts of what indoor exertion looked like, David pressed on. “I think it took something like this,” gesturing his hands outwardly, feeling the weight of it as he said it, “for me to get out of my normal routine, which now I know was kind of rather sad.”  
  


Patrick understood, though. He had never felt so uncomfortable, alive and at ease in his life, though he wasn’t ready to admit that yet. So instead, he replied, “what was sad about it?”

David glanced over to Patrick, relaxing back on the heels of his hands against the rock he was sitting on and then looked back over to the glistening valley.   
  
“To be honest, kind of all of it. The job I had, the woman went out of business and so I’ve been kind of living in this metaphorical waiting room of pathetic and self pity. It’s not a good look.”  


If it had been appropriate, Patrick would have gotten closer to David to pat him reassuringly on the back. Instead, the most respectful thing he could do would be to listen. Patrick could spend a lifetime hanging on David’s every word and allow his low registered voice to lull him.  
  
“We used to have it all, as I’m sure you know. We used to live in New York.” David was in a different place, his gaze seeing something that wasn’t directly in front of them. “Used to think nothing could ever destroy the lifestyle I had. I don’t even know why I’m saying all of this to you.” He wiped a tear from his eye and the small gesture nearly broke the dam in Patrick. “Uhm,” David cleared the lump in his throat, “it’s not that I don’t want that lifestyle again, I know I’m here, but I’m tired of waiting for the trolley to take me back to that time when everything was at my fingertips. I want to really live and not whither away by checking Instagram or wait for a drunken text from Miley.”  
 **  
** “Uh, who’s Miley?”  
 **  
** “Cyrus,” David answered nonchalantly.  
 **  
** “Oh, right.” Patrick nodded and quickly felt out of his element. “Well so, so you think this is living, hiking Rattlesnake Point?” _With me,_ he wanted to ask.   
**  
** “I think so. I’m still figuring it out,” David flashed a quick wink and smiled genuinely.   
**  
** “Ah, well. If we want to get back at a decent time, we should head back.”  
 **  
** “Wait, just one more minute,” David said, just above a whisper. It was easy to oblige when David was so polite. “Do you think we can come here again together? This was nice.”  
 **  
** “It was, and we can come out here whenever you’d like.”  


They smiled at each other, and after David pushed himself off of the rock, grabbed his small bottle of patchouli sanitizer, rubbed generously through his hands, and then followed up with a lotion that would attract mosquitoes in all directions if they stayed there long enough.   
  
Thus began the walk back down the trail; their conversation light and full of banter. Every once in awhile David would pause to look at an exotic plant rooting from the ground which made Patrick pause in respect of their social distancing. Sometimes just for fun, David would extend the walking stick to make sure Patrick was keeping the correct distance. 

**  
** Among the various topics, Patrick reminded him about proper footwear for hiking so as not to overextend the sore muscles in his feet or heaven forbid he step on another sharp rock on the trail. “I still think you should get something better than the high tops. Do you plan to do a lot more hiking?”

“Well I’m certainly not going to buy the mountaineering shoes _you’re_ wearing. You look like Oprah on Thanksgiving Day.” This cracked a broad smile across Patrick’s face.

“So what _should_ I be wearing, on a hike then, David?” He waited, but David didn’t have an answer. 

David changed the subject and pulled the bottle he'd been drinking from back to his mouth. “Fuck, I ran out of water. Do you have any on you?” 

Patrick’s eyebrows shot way up. “So we’re sharing water now?” 

“Oh. _Fuccck_ . Right. I forgot. Yeah that’s… I’ll be fine.” David grimaced at the thought of already asking to share someone’s _anything._ They kept their pace, Patrick ginning and failing to hide how fond he was of his hiking partner with his ridiculous choice in footwear and clumsy use of the walking stick. 

**  
** They reached the bottom of the trail, and David bent over to catch his breath for a moment, crouching over the stick. Patrick couldn’t resist. “Alright, catch your breath, old man, and let’s go.”

 **  
** “Ew! Thirty-three is _not_ old!” David flushed at admitting just how old he was, but he lied actually. He was 35, living in mid-thirties denial. If David looked like he was deceiving Patrick, Patrick never caught on, and David could keep that going for a while.   
  
On their way back, Patrick talked about the baseball team he played on in his hometown and hoped there was a league established near Schitt’s Creek. David raved about his love for fashion. He attempted to show off some of his favorite Díor outfits to Patrick from across the street. Appeasing David, Patrick nodded and listened and acted like he could see the photos. It was a walk back to Ray’s that ended too soon.   
  
“Alright, David, I'd say that was a successful hike. And look, no one got murdered.” David shot him a piercing glare, but then shook his head and leaned over to cover up his sweet smile. 

Patrick could see it in his face that he wanted to say something more, but didn’t know how to help him, so he just waited. “Uhm, so tomorrow is Thursday and it’s supposed to be a clear night. Would you like to walk again at dusk? We have family stuff in the day, but I’d like to get to know you, I think.”  
  
“You _think_ ?” David grinned with half a smile at the teasing nature of this guy.  
  
“Yes, I’d like that.”  
  
“Me too, David. And that sounds nice. I’ll be around. Just knock on the door when you get here.”

“Mmkay. Have a good day, Patrick,” David waved to him, and Patrick waved back. He was drawn to David, and he dug his heels into the earth to keep himself grounded, in more ways than one. 

“You too, David.” Patrick closed the door behind himself and pressed his back against it, sighing a happy sigh.  
  
“Oh! Hello, Patrick!” Ray pulled him out of his daydreams. 

“Oh. Hey, Ray,” Patrick responded with a dreamy sound to his voice. 

“I see you met David Rose! Isn’t he a character? I just _love_ Johnny.”

“Yeah, he is,” Patrick said with a half smile on his face. His skin flushed from hearing his name, saying it over and over in his head like a litany.   
  
_David Rose, David Rose, David Rose….  
  
_ Patrick had never heard a name so lovely and delicate. 

“Alright, well I’m going to make pancakes, but I fear there’s a shortage of eggs, so I’m making them with bananas. Are you interested?”

“Sure, thanks Ray.” He couldn’t contain his excitement for the walk he was going to take with David on Thursday. He found his heart beating with the anticipation of it all. “I’ll take a shower and be right down.”

“Oh and it’s a half-day, today, Patrick. We won’t work the normal hours we have been.” Panic had crept over Patrick’s body at the thought of having more time to think about David.As he took his extra steamy shower, he made a plan to make a spreadsheet of all of the different things they could do from six feet apart. It would give him something to focus on between now and their non-date date. Because surely this wasn’t an _actual_ romantic gesture. They were getting to know each other. _Talking._

 **  
**David didn’t show up on Thursday and most likely due to the downpour all evening long, crushing Patrick’s anticipation of taking an intimate stroll with David down to the Creek. Surely he would see him the following day if the weather cleared. **  
  
  
**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick trivia: The Devil's Den is a State Park in West Fork, Arkansas with the most beautiful overlooks to landscapes in all of the country. Many proposals occur there ;). Also, it does indeed have the Icebox Cave which is always 60 degrees year-round. Our family used to spelunk every year in the caves until the white-nose syndrome ( a disease spread on the backpacks of hikers going from cave to cave, transferring it as they go) wiped out a lot of the bats and now they have shut down most caves in the tri-state region. But I highly suggest spelunking (exploring caves), they're one of nature's most beautiful creations.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the following day from when David stood Patrick up on their evening walk.   
> So much changes, but one fact remains the same, these two are meant to be in each other's orbit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
> This story has evolved a lot, especially going along with the more recent events. I'm hoping you like the new direction this takes.  
> I will try to get the next chapter out quickly as it is almost done.   
> This story does include mentions of the quarantine, so if that is triggering for you, this may not be the story for you and that's fine. For the most part, this is just a slow burn of a twist to a love story we all know and love. Hope you all are staying safe and sane at home.   
> Hope you enjoy the chapter.

A few of the blue jays were singing their song outside and although Patrick was still pained with worry for why his tall, dark, and handsome man had not shown up at his door the previous evening, he had hope for a new day.  
  


Patrick was clad in a forest green henley and his signature dark blue denim. Each day that he had spent around David, he felt like a new man, someone who was coming into his own personality and sexuality. Since he was a take-charge individual, usually he liked having control over his emotions and thoughts, but he found he had much more fun with letting loose and allowing his body and mind to go on wild adventures.   
  


The times Patrick spent in the shower were ones of self exploration and the times in front of his computer, leaned back in his chair thinking of what he had been missing in his life were ones of self discovery. He moved his fingertips along his skin and felt alive instead of numb. He looked in the mirror and what reflected back was a man instead of a scared kid. Meeting David had seemed to have opened something up inside of Patrick, like finding the key to a secret compartment, relinquishing any lingering self doubt. What once was locked away in the farthest reaches of his subconscious was now finding its way to the forefront of his thoughts. Had these desires been there all along? Why had it taken this one specific man to bring him to this realization, in his thirties? Whatever it was, David was making Patrick feel things, and ask himself some hard questions. These feelings were giving Patrick nothing but confidence to go get what he wanted, he’s ready to jump in with both feet. Nothing like any of those other times when he was so detached or hesitant and tripping up at every turn with Rachel, Ashley and Christina. It was all starting to make perfect sense.  
  


Patrick was still whistling the tune of the birds from his window as he bounded down the stairs. He grabbed a Kind bar and bottle of water to settle into his work for the lazy day ahead. Anytime there had been a crisis or unusual occurrence where stress might take over Patrick’s mind, he instead turned back to tasks, attempting the best he could to control the chaos.   


There was a knock on the door and Ray shouted from upstairs, “it’s probably Amazon delivering my photo paper.” Patrick thought it must be awfully early to be receiving packages, but he opened the door anyway. Looking down he saw a brown paper bag and a plastic cup with a lid on it.  
  
"Good morning,” came a whisper from just in front of the porch, to the left of where Patrick knelt over to pick up what was there. Patrick flicked his eyes up to see David in a dark grey t-shirt and black jeans with rips in them. He held his backpack, which also appeared to have a brown bag in it, and he was sipping from his own plastic cup. He looked magnificent with his hair coiffed in a pompadour.  
  
“Good morning, David,” Patrick replied, mostly because it was muscle memory, but otherwise, he was a standing pile of mush. David brought _him_ breakfast.  
  
“Yeah, I apologize I didn’t come by last night. It was raining... hard, and I don’t have any clothes I wish to get wet.” David shifted from right foot to left foot, looking as if fidgeting was keeping him from going any closer to the porch.  
  
“You don’t have to explain yourself, it’s fine. So this is for me?” Patrick gestured to the brown bag and cup.  
  
“Yes, it’s a scone and that’s a tea. Please don’t share it with Ray.”  
  
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Patrick shot David a glint of a tease and picked up the items, feeling touched to be thought of.  
  
“So, what am I still doing here you may ask, well, uhm, I thought if you weren’t doing anything right now, I could take you to one of my favorite places at the creek. It’s where I like to journal and escape for a while. It’s the least I could do for -”  
  
“For standing me up, you mean?” Patrick deadpanned.  
  
“Mm, okay, so it wasn’t a date, but yes, I could see where you might think...well you didn’t say it was...but then friends can stand each other up all the time...you know what, forget it, this was all a mistake. Enjoy the scone.” David was very much spiraling in his thought process and Patrick took the moment to be sincere.  
  
“No, wait, David, it’s fine. I’m just joking with you. I have some chairs, we could eat breakfast and sit on the driveway if you like?”  
  
“I think that would be okay,” David was acting so shy and it melted Patrick’s heart.  
  
“Just okay?”  
  
“I’d like that very much, yes.” If David had been fully honest with himself and the man in front of him, he was terrified to meet with Patrick for an evening get-together. Even at six feet apart, it was too much for his heart to just be put on the line like that. Apart from his friendship with Stevie, David wasn’t skilled at connecting with people, being relational, holding conversation more than small talk. To begin a friendship with Patrick was to go against every fiber of his being because even just a few months ago, David told his sister he was trying desperately to not connect with people _right now._ And he meant it.

“Uhm that’s not a bag chair, okay? They’re usually filled with beans.”  
  
“No, those are _bean_ bag chairs, David. This is a bag chair. Very different.”  
  
“Actually I _do_ know what that is, that’s a camping chair and I don’t do camping.”  
  
“Lucky for you, David, the _camping_ is only happening here on my driveway. That is, if you call eating breakfast camping. There also may be conversation, but we will cross that road when we get to it, okay?”  
  
“Patrick, I don’t want to sit on any furniture that comes out of a bag. I don’t know if it has been sanitized.” David’s face was doing all kinds of things and it made Patrick chortle, not that he was making fun of David, but enjoying how much David was so not like any other person he had ever met, like a breath of fresh air.  
  
Meanwhile, David thought he was going to lose it. He took out some sanitizing wipes and wiped the chair down before he sat in it, making sure any possible place he would touch had been thoroughly cleaned. David could blame the current situation happening globally, but really, David would be sanitizing anything that came out of a bag he was supposed to sit in.  
  
“David, trust me, yes this is a camping chair, but I made sure to clean it thoroughly, you really didn’t have to do that.. I don’t think I even saw any spiders or-“  
  
“Wait. _What the fuck?_ **_Spiders_**?!?” David had a look of absolute horror on his face and Patrick explained one more time how the bag chair was thoroughly cleaned when he and Ray went through them a few days ago, including any dust.  
  
“Oh god, can you just imagine _dust_ on these black Armani’s right now? I would die.”  
  
“Okay, just take it easy.”  
  
“Spiders aren’t what really worry me, it’s the moths,” David articulated and immediately looked to regret _those_ words.  
  
“Excuse me, did you say _‘motthsss_?’” Patrick had a look to his face of sheer incredulity as he bit his bottom lip in fondness.  
  
“Yes, you heard correct, so there better not be any dead moths in here. Ew.”  
  
“So it’s the dust from the moth and not the insect itself?”  
  
David huffed that they were still talking about it. “It’s both, if you must know. Anytime I’m reading at the motel and a moth flies even near my face, I freak out. And then there was the time I was at Kim Kardashian’s villa in Italy and a moth landed on my one-of-a-kind designer jeans and not even the cleaners could get out the dust.”  
  
“Not even the -”  
  
“ _Oh my god_ , it is too soon to talk about this.”  
 **  
**“So circling back around to this, you’d rather spiders to moths?”

 **  
** “I’d rather we go inside your house, but I’m not comfortable with that yet, so. Here we are.” The casual way David said _yet_ warmed Patrick inside, thinking there _would_ be a day when it deemed appropriate to let David into his home. 

**  
**Patrick could only nod his head at that point. “Noted, so, so can you sit down now or are there other insects you need identified?” David whipped his head back, looking directly at Patrick in disgust as he closed his eyes and lowered himself into the chair. He took a drink of his coffee, baring his teeth as he gulped and made the strangest noise. “Would you prefer Kahlua in your coffee? We may have some if it helps take the edge off.”  
  
“I know you’re trying to be funny, but I actually would take you up on that if it weren’t for the...the uhm…”  
  
“I get it, David.” They hadn’t talked about it and it seemed like they could just keep dancing around the issues as long as they remained respectful of each other’s spaces. Though with every passing day of the virus, David seemed to be both on edge and relaxed, which fueled hope in Patrick that perhaps he was responsible for helping David relax and keep his mind on worthier topics.  
  
They each ate their breakfast in comfortable silence, listening to the wildlife communicate with each other and a few times Patrick thought how nice it must be to be a squirrel, ignorant of all of societal woes, just passing along the street with their acorns and hopping from branch to branch; mother nature carrying on as usual. Patrick broke the silence first, not that he needed to, but he just really wanted to get to know his new acquaintance.  
  
Patrick looked at David, sipping his tea and crossing his legs at the ankle, a comfortable position to keep the conversation light and easy.  
  
“So when you weren’t here yesterday, David, what did you end up doing?” 

David smiled a half smile and for a second got lost in his thoughts.  
  
“I haven’t told you a lot about my family, but I think I told you we live at the motel. Right?”  
  
“Yes, I believe you mentioned it.”  
  
“Alexis, my sister, she hasn’t been handling this whole thing well,” David motioned with his arms to signify _the situation_ and Patrick understood. “I have a lot of affection for my sister, despite what everyone thinks. Anyway, we gave each other mani’s and pedi’s and facials. It was actually....nice.” There was that smile again forming on David’s face and Patrick oh so wanted to keep it there.  
  
“Sorry, what is a mani and a pedi?”  
  
“Manicures and pedicures, ugh, please keep up.” At that, Patrick’s eyebrows shot up on his forehead. “I- I mean. I guess not everyone talks like us. I forget that. Anyway, Alexis made the argument that she didn’t want to look like a total troll after this was over, or for as long as it goes, so I told her I would take care of her.”  
  
“Wow, that’s so nice of you. You gave her a facial too?”  
  
“Yeah, there’s this company we used to get at-home kits from and we still had them. Anyway, uhm, it wasn’t much of anything. I’m just glad I could be there for her and that’s what I did last night, so.”  
  
“I’m sure she really appreciated it. Did she return the favor to you?”  
  
“Oh no, this was about her, not me. Plus, I have given myself these facials so many times and I’m a pro with my own nails, I don’t let anyone touch my skin or nails but me. I don’t know any estheticians around here anyway.”  
  
“Well it is probably none of my business, but yours are the most beautiful hands I’ve ever seen, David. So whatever you’re doing, you should, you know, keep doing it.” David blushed at that and it was contagious because Patrick felt a rush of heat go up his neck as well. He knew he was done for, because the more he looked at David’s perfectly manicured fingers, the more he wanted to touch them and weave his fingers into them.  
  


They enjoy another measured comfortable silence between them, listening to the birds and breeze whistling through the trees. _This,_ Patrick thinks, _this_ he could get used to, but on a wrap-around porch with both of them in rocking chairs where Patrick is reading a book and David is sketching in a notepad.  
  


Patrick suddenly developed an idea and told David he would be right back. A few minutes later, Patrick has in tow a short stack of games which he brings to the driveway, a cheeky grin on his face.  
  
“Uhm, what’s that, what’s that?”  
  
"These are called _games_ ,” he says with a straight but amused face. “Some with cards and some not.”

  
“Ah, how fun for us.” _Us._ _  
_  
Patrick pulled out his unscented sanitizing wipes package and placed it on the ground. “So there’s nothing for you to touch in the first game, I’ll hold the cards if you want me to.” I can ask the questions from the card and you can pick which one you want to ask me. Sound fair?”  
  
“Okay, but if I get bored of this game, I call veto and we play something else.” 

Patrick conceded.  
  
“Okay, sounds like a fair deal.” Upon closer inspection, the game he was holding read _Adult Loaded Questions,_ so already Patrick had an idea where this might lead.  
  
“I don’t know if you’ll be into this, these questions are somewhat adult in nature. Is that something you’re okay with?”  
  
“I’m easy either way. Adult or innocent, I don’t have anything to hide.” Then David made a face like he didn’t really believe what he just said, so Patrick took it upon himself to find the easier, less intrusive questions for David.  
  
“Okay, that’s fine then. Question number one, _oh, what is an instant mood killer_ ?”  
  
“ _Oh._ Uhm, bare feet in flip flops. I don’t do bare feet at all, but especially when they’re in any kind of sandal.” Patrick was shocked at the instant information and it was clear just how much it irked him, so he had to know more.  
  
"Even women in sandals?”  
  
"I don't like to see someone's feet if I don't have to except for like, well, obviously, sex, or- or something..." David and Patrick both share an uncomfortable yet heated glance then David snaps out of it,  
  
"It's one of the many things I miss about having a private jet, no nasty bare feet at security checkpoints." Patrick giggled and thought about David’s life before Schitt’s Creek, that must have been something and to lose it must have been an historic detriment for the Roses.  
  
“Mmhmm, so my turn now.” Patrick read the choices to David and he finally settled on _what would you not what to find inside your partner’s bedside drawer._ _  
__  
"_ Hmm, that’s tough. I haven’t lived with a significant other before, so I wouldn’t know how to answer that. I’ll take the easy way out and say I would hope I wouldn’t find something like cigarettes. I couldn’t be with someone who smoked. It’s a non-starter.”  
  
“Mmm, I agree with that, actually. Ughh, can you imagine?” Patrick laughed at the face journey David’s was taking and David laughed along with him. Their conversation was effortless and time didn’t seem to matter. _  
  
"_ Okay, I choose _If you had an adult film name, what would it be? You_ have to answer truthfully, Patrick.”  
  
“Truthfully,” Patrick barked out a laugh, “ David, I wouldn’t know anything about that. Is that like Dirk Diggler?”  
  
“That’s from Boogie Nights, so yes, something like it. That was Mark Wahlberg's name, but yours needs to be unique.”  
  
“Well I give up, can I go with Cassanova?” David inhaled sharply when Patrick said it.

“Uhm, wow, that’s a bold claim! Do you really think-” David cut himself off and it was a good thing because Patrick wasn’t sure what the question was, but he most decidedly knew he didn’t know the answer. “Okay, I’m going to veto that. No. Still unoriginal. Actually a lot of people go with the name of the first pet they ever had and then the street they grew up on on.”  
  
“Oh, uhh..”  
  
“Out with it, Patrick!” David’s face was lit up in pure delight and he couldn’t wait to hear it.  
  
“So our first family dog was a Brittany Spaniel named Charlie and I grew up on Queen’s Bush Way. It sounds...oh my god.”  
  
David laughed and couldn’t stop when he put it all together. “So you’d be Charlie Queen’s Bush… oh my god, Patrick, that is….that’s _definitely_ an adult film star name.” David’s laughter filled the space and Patrick laughed too, but with a hint of embarrassment.  
  
“Okay, okay, okay…. _my_ turn.” Patrick glared flirtatiously at David as he asked the question, choosing the question blindly. “Which, _oh,_ you don’t have to....well okay, which side of the bed do you choose?” The question was weird, but he was committed. David was still attempting to catch his breath.  
  
“Mm, so I can answer this one quickly actually. I am all for feng shui, you have to know that, first and foremost. And not that I know anything about the mechanics of sharing a bed with anyone, but I would take the side furthest from the door.”  
  
“Oh? Why is that?” Patrick wanted to know everything when it came to David.  
  
“Because I believe that if anyone gets murdered in a heist, it's going to be the person closest to the door.”  
  
“Well, with that logic, yeah I guess that’s true. But wouldn’t you still be at risk of still being murdered if the person next to you was?”  
  
“Maybe? I’m not into statistics, but I would also take my chances. My theory is they would murder the person closest to the door and I would have enough time to protect myself.”  
  
“Oh you think so? Do you own a gun?”  
  
“No…”  
  
“A knife?”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Any kind of weapon that would be useful in a heist?”  
  
“Ugh, no, but I have street smarts.”  
  
“Oh, street smarts, I see. Like what?”  
  
“I don’t have all of the answers to these questions, i just know that I have cat-like reflexes when it comes to these kinds of things.” David spouted with an amused look to his face.  
  
“Hmm, do these cat-like reflexes include jumping on top of high shelves? Because that might be useful.”  
  
“Mm, you think you’re funny.”  
  
“Yes I do, actually.” A little bit of warmth was exchanged between them.  
  
Patrick changed the subject by asking another question, having David ask him some more as well, and after being fully satisfied with the first game, David was eyeing the next one they should play.  
  
“Hey, is it okay that I’m still here? Seems like I have been here a while and, well, I can go.” David said with his hands in his lap, suddenly realizing he just showed up to Patrick’s doorstep with no warning of any kind.   
  
“Of course, David. I’d let you know if I had a problem with it.”

 _  
_So they ask each other questions ..... Then after David feels like finally throwing the white flag, he casually asks about the plastic game at Patrick’s feet.  
  


* * *

  
  
Patrick grinned at David while he put the cards away for the Adult Loaded Questions game. 

“Can’t help but notice you staring at this game for the past fifteen minutes.”  
Curiosity getting the best of him, Patrick leaned over the side of his chair to look at what David had been eyeing. A smile crept steadily over his face. “David, do you want to play Battleship?”

“I don’t know what that is.”  
  
“It’s the game you’ve been staring at,” Patrick pointed down to the game at his feet. 

“I haven’t been staring at...okay, yes, I am interested as to what... that...is, but-”

“David, I’ll teach you Battleship. I even brought you some sanitary wipes so you could deep clean the entire console if you want. You know, since I- since I touched it.” It was a small gesture, but it lit David up inside knowing how much someone cared about meeting his needs. 

“Okay, well again-”

“If you don’t like it, you can veto it, I know..”

“That’s correct,” David grinned, smiling a wide smile and showing Patrick just how gorgeous his teeth were as he did so. 

It was going to take a little while for David to clean off his game and the small pieces, and it looked like David was interested in cleaning everything. Meanwhile, Patrick took the opportunity to throw away their trash and grab each of them water from inside. He also snatched the chalk Ray’s nieces recently left inside the door for when they played with their sidewalk chalk.

Patrick brought the waters and chalk to the driveway and noticed David doing his best not to look too eager to learn how to play . Patrick was smitten. He explained to David in full detail how Battleship worked with the arranging of ships and calling out coordinates to try to sink the opposing ones. 

  
Once he felt David was fully briefed, Patrick thought David might enjoy the game a little bit more if he added a little extra pizazz to the rules. “Give me one minute, David, I’ll be right back.”  
  
“Uhm, where are you going?”  
  
“Just inside the house, I’ll be back.”  
  
“Are there snacks?”  
  
It took Patrick a second to register the question. Had David already decided to trust Patrick enough to cross this particular line with him? “There might be, but I don’t know of anything unopened. Maybe a bag of Doritos?”  
  
“If it’s unopened, I will take them, thank you.” David replied, which tugged on Patrick’s heartstrings. 

“Okay David, coming right up.” He was gone for a few minutes and when he came back, he had two shot glasses, two bottles of Prosecco, and multiple bags of snacks for David including Otis cookies, Oreos, and a few flavors of Doritos. David’s face lit up upon seeing it all, immediately sanitizing and wiping everything down before partaking in any of it.  
  
“Um, so what are the shot glasses for?” David wiped the glass thoroughly before filling it with the Prosecco and taking a sip of the crisp taste. Without hesitation, Patrick said triumphantly, “we are going to drink while we play Battleship, David Rose.”  
  
“Oh, we are, are we? Did you just make this part of the game up?”  
  
“No, not entirely. I have seen it done on TV. So what you do is each time I make a hit on one of your ships, you fill your shot glass half-way and take the shot. If you feel bolder, you can take a full shot, but this could go for a while or really quickly, so it’s really up to you. Likewise, if you _hit_ one of my ships, I will also take a shot. How do you feel about that?”  
  
“I say game on, Patrick,.” David’s eyes directly on him and his voice low and breathy. So many times Patrick thought about forgoing the game and climbing into David’s lap to kiss him. Just really going for it, but it was entirely inappropriate so instead he said aloud for them both to place their ships where they wanted them. “and don’t even think about letting me win, either. I think that’s entirely tacky. Just play how you would normally play.”  
  
“Aye, Aye, Captain, be prepared to walk the plank.” Patrick said fondly, making David roll his eyes from the pirate speak. Minutes later, they were playing the game and David had taken three shots in a row within a few turns.  
  
Patrick had the chalk by his chair and placed it in between them, giving some for David to use if he wanted, but from what he could tell, David was intent on figuring out where Patrick’s ships were located by paying close attention to where David had already missed.  
  
Delicate with the chalk, Patrick began doodling next to his own chair and wrote some things, one thing in particular. Patrick was practicing boldness and by this point in the day, he decided that he wanted David to know how he felt. Scrunching up his nose, David looked over his game to see what Patrick had been writing, a flush of heat visibly running up his neck. Patrick giggled to himself with satisfied joy that he was eliciting such a reaction from someone he had a crush on. And Patrick was crushing hard. When Patrick finished what he wrote, he sat back with his game balancing on his leg, arms behind his head with a soft, but smug look on his face.  
  
 _I like you, David Rose, do you like me too? Yes or No?_ Strong eyebrows arched sharply above cocoa colored eyes that peered at the question from across the plastic game piece, darted quickly to Patrick, and then back to the chalk drawn overture. David squirmed in his seat. Patrick didn’t need an answer, not right away, anyway. The statement and question needed to settle between them for a little while, though it was a step in the right direction that what he wrote didn’t send David running back home.  
  
“So you just wrote that on our first unofficial date knowing that you’d probably stress me out and throw me off my game.” As soon as it escaped from his lips David looked like he wanted to catch it and stuff it back in.   
  
“That’s correct,” Patrick replied with a cute cheeky expression. “Wait, is that what this is, David? A _date_?”

“Uhm, I don’t remember saying that.” He spoke softly, trying to play it off, when he realized the error of his embarrassing overshare, but it was too late and instead chose to ignore the declaration. “Come on, let’s just play the darn thing, and it would be nice if you could just let me win this one so I don’t get wasted on your driveway.”

“Sorry, David, my _unofficial date_ would be really upset if I let him win. He clearly stated that I am not allowed.” David grumbled, shook his head while displaying a bashful smile and told Patrick to proceed. “Well played, Brewer.”  
  
A few more turns and David was, well, tipsy. “I told you to go slow if you need to, half shots are just as good as whole ones,” he said and gave a concerned look to David. David wasn’t having it, so he slammed another shot just for good measure, silently informing Patrick that David isn’t one to back down from a competition.

 **  
** “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with, Mr. Brewer. I can go like this all day.” David definitely regretted those words hours later, but during the game when Patrick only had a few shots while David’s entire fleet was nearly sunk, Patrick realized David needed a little more to eat as they played, so he made them cheese and meat plates which David was more than willing to dive into. 

“Okay David, but I’ll tell you, I am a little mystified at your choices for your ships. It looks like you have placed them all horizontally, in the middle, stacked. I have never seen that done before, nor do ships actually stay that close together in the ocean,” Patrick said amused.  
  
Multiple times Patrick caught David looking over his own game and at the question in chalk, sometimes glaring at Patrick or looking at him quizzically.  
  
“Well I really thought that you wouldn’t fig-figure it out. Then again, I have never played this game bef-before,” David hiccupped at Patrick. That was when Patrick took a real look at the sweater David had managed to put on which was arranged in the same horizontal pattern as his ships. He looked incredibly handsome, though, and when he combed his fingers through his perfect hair, he looked like a whimsical unicorn in his black and white.  
  
“David, I think we should call it a game, and maybe I should take you back home,” he said apologetically; he never meant to put David in such an inebriated state. With all of the snacks they’d both been consuming he thought it would be enough. But when Patrick sank David’s last ship, David took the bottle of Prosecco and downed the rest of it. Patrick gaped at the scene in front of him.

  
David slumped in his seat, looking over all of his ships, scratching his head and scrolled through his rolodex of disgruntled expressions. “I just can’t figure thi-this out, your ships were in the most obvious of places. This does-doesn’t make sense.”  
  


Patrick looked over at David fondly as he was still hiccuping and marveled at how adorable David looked in his chair, like a very competitive little boy who couldn’t win. Perhaps Patrick should have let David win the game after all, but it was far better of a game just to see him squirm and fidget hoping that he could sink at least one of his ships. Patrick wouldn’t admit it, but he also loved friendly competition, he just rarely gloated about it.  
  
Seeing that David was planning his next strategy for when they would inevitably play again, Patrick took the opportunity to take all of their food and drink inside and set up the couch with fresh sheets, pillows, and warm blankets straight out of the dryer. Both Ray and Patrick were such neat-freaks which made their friendship work so well. They both understood the mutual respect clean rooms meant to their roommate, which made this very unusual time everyone was experiencing to go a lot smoother for them.  
  
Within a few minutes of moving furniture around, getting everything in place, and setting out a glass of water and pain reliever for David to take, he went back outside to retrieve the disgruntled friend of his in his seat. He really wanted to take his arm and place it around his shoulders to help him inside, but Patrick remained a gentleman and knew that it would be against what David would want, so he kept his distance.  
  
“Okay, the couch is made up and I left some medicine and water for you to take so you could sleep this off for an hour or two. I’m sorry again that I- that I sunk all of your battleships,” Patrick said and immediately regretted it, probably coming across as smug.  
  
“And now you’re gloating.”  
  
“I’m not gloating, it’s just no one ever really loses _that_ bad,” he replies, snickering as he walks behind him.  
  
“Mmm, well, I have already planned out my next pla- plan of attack, so you will be eating those words next time,” he hiccuped back at Patrick and it was so endearing how he sounded.  
  
“Okay, David, well let’s get you inside and have you take a nap and we can revisit that later.”  
  
David hobbled into the house, clutching onto the empty bottle of Prosecco. He flopped onto the sheets and wrapped himself into the blanket like a burrito. Already Patrick could tell that his houseguest was letting his walls come down and was starting to trust him. Not once had David asked if he had thoroughly washed the sheets, he must have either known Patrick would take care of him or he was too drunk to know the difference. Patrick hoped it was the former.  
  
Once David was sound asleep, Patrick went back outside to fold up the chairs and clean up the driveway, and that’s when he saw it. Perfect shading of a pastel pink rose with the light pink chalk now sitting inside the container. Patrick’s eyes sparkled and a slow smile grew looking at it, tracing his fingers over the delicately drawn petals. A thought occurred to him, _when did he have the time to draw something so intricate_ ? Next to the rose sat the question Patrick asked earlier, with a defined circle wrapped around the word _yes.  
  
_

* * *

 _  
__  
_Patrick had been watching an old Blue Jays game for a while at a low volume so David could sleep. He kept to himself in the oversized recliner occasionally glancing over to David, sometimes he’d nod off while watching the slower parts of the game. He could barely focus on anything happening with his favorite team anyway because David had circled **_yes_ ** when he asked him if David liked him back. This had to be the start of something for Patrick, he had a good feeling about it.  
  
At one point Ray left to take some supplies and prepared meals over to his mother’s house since she recently had hip replacement surgery and wasn’t able to move very much since her surgery.  
  
"Pat-rick,” Ray whispered and it came out louder than Patrick wanted, making David jump a little in his sleep. “I’ll be back in a few hours, just need to drop these things off. Need me to get anything for you or for your guest?”  
  
“Oh, no Ray, thank you.”  
  
“I assume this is still David Rose under here?” Ray gestured to the blankets.  
  
"Yes, Ray. Sorry, he just needed to sleep off the alcohol. He had one too many shots and I couldn't just let him walk home.”  
  
“Say no more, I understand. Well I’m off, so do you want the door open or closed when I leave?”  
  
“Closed, Ray, thank you. You can go ahead and lock up.” Ray exited the house leaving Patrick and David to their shared mutual silence save for the game that was wrapping up on the TV.  
  
After the game ended, he looked back over when he saw slight movement under the blanket, and a stray hand emerging from his cocoon to pick up the glass of water. Patrick kept watching him out of the corner of his eye, and wow, he had never seen someone look so beautiful while waking up from a deep sleep.  
  
“Hey,” David said with a rougher voice than he had expected, and Jesus, if that didn’t make his body feel electric. “Hey,” Patrick replied.   
  
“How long have I been out?” David looked around and noticed how quiet it was, but a small sleepy smile grew on his face when he saw the movie on the television.  
  
“Not long, probably a couple of hours or so. You really needed the sleep. Do you feel better?”  
  
“I don’t know yet,” David croaked, “but the water and Sandra Bullock helps, thank you.”  
  
Patrick looked over back over to the screen and sure enough, _Speed_ was on. David grabbed his head and groaned. “Remind me never to drink again, at least not to drink as much Prosecco.” Patrick laughed. _  
_  
“I was about to make a pizza, would you like pepperoni if I made one in the oven?”  
  
“I never turn down pizza, so, yes please.” David looked like he knew it probably wasn’t the best option for keeping a safe distance from someone.  
  
He’d been taking shots with David on the driveway, allowing David to nap on his couch, and now having dinner with him, but still in the midst of all of it, something still felt so right being around David. Not only could David feel safe with Patrick, but Patrick felt the same being around him.  
  
“Okay, one pizza coming right up.” Patrick went to the kitchen to heat up the oven, but not before refilling David’s glass and setting it back on the table. David didn’t protest when their hands almost brushed from reaching out for the glass not knowing Patrick had picked it up. Patrick wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw David blush.  
  


* * *

  
Pizza consumed, one beer for each of them, and watching Speed all the way until the very end, David felt that not only had he overstayed his welcome, but he was in good shape to walk home. When Patrick protested saying he would drive him home, David argued.  
  
“Really, you’ve been more than kind and we just met a couple of days ago. I should walk this off-”  
  
The announcement chimed on the television loudly, breaking both of their concentration.  
  
 _  
Residents of Schitt’s Creek, this is your local Mayor, Roland Schitt._ _  
__It is with great sadness that I inform you that Canada just today closed its borders and everyone needs to practice the Safe at Home protocol you’ve been hearing lately from the Prime Minister._ _  
__This thing is really not letting up. That said, we have decided as a country that wherever you are staying right now, you need to remain there and ride this thing out. Do not leave your house for any reason except for absolute essentials or to care for a loved one. Even in that case, you should exercise caution around the elderly and immunocompromised._ _  
__As I get updated with more information I will let you know, but please practice these Safe at Home policies. Thank you._ _  
__  
_David looked over at Patrick and they both breathed in heavily. “Fuck, Patrick. What are we going to do? This is bad.”  
  
“You should walk back over to the motel and be with your family. Surely they will accept you back in and you can stay safe there. That’s all you can do.” David nodded and made his way to the door. “Thank you so much for the pizza and, well, everything today,” David said with a sad smile, absently scratching the paint on the door.  
  
“Anytime, David. You get home and stay safe, okay?” Patrick couldn’t help but be a little heartbroken too. Who knew when they would possibly see each other again. But Patrick couldn’t think about that, he respected that David needed to get home and self-isolate with his family.  
  


* * *

  
Getting his feet to cooperate into a jog while scrambling to pry his phone from the pocket of his skinny jeans proved to be harder than he imagined.  
  
David wasn’t even sure why he was panicking; he was a few blocks from his family and soon he would be back in his element, whatever that meant. Alexis didn’t pick up which wasn’t unusual, but everything at that point sounded alarm bells in David’s head. He was so close, he could see the motel up ahead and then his sister and father arguing outside their doors. Once he got a little closer, he heard his name being shouted a few times. Oh god.

“ _Look,_ Dad, there he is now! David! _David!”_ Alexis called with one hand cupped to her face and her other with her signature T-rex movement.   
_  
__“_ I can hear you! What?!”  
  
“David, bad news, poor thing! Dad won’t let you in!” She flipped her hair out of her face and Johnny caught her wrist.  
  
“Alexis, stop touching your face and hands, didn’t you see the news your mother was watching earlier?”  
  
“Oh, _Dad,_ that’s if people leave the motel. We are staying right here, why does it matter?” Alexis muttered. “It _matters, Alexis!”_ Johnny pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Then realizing what _he_ had just done, turned to David and put his hands up in a motion to get him to stop.  
  
“Stay right there, son.” David looked around in the parking lot, over to Stevie who was just inside the office door watching _The Show_ as she so lovingly liked to put it when it came to the banter between all of the Roses. Then he looked from her back to Alexis and then to his Dad. “ _What?!_ I’d like to get into my room so I can take a shower, please.”  
  
“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. Your mother…”  
  
“John!” Moira called from inside the motel, interrupting him. “Don’t make this any worse on our obstreperous child. He does not need your opprobrium!”  
  
David leaned back in shock. “Obstreperous?! Who is she referencing? _Me?_ I go on a jog every day so that I don’t become a couch potato, how is today any different?” He could hear the shrill in his voice.  
  
“David!” Moira pleaded as she opened the door a crack to look at her son. “This is as far as I go, now you’ve been gone all day and we don’t know where in the wide world you have been. You could have picked up something and I need to look my best for my photoshoot in a few weeks. You know I can’t afford to get sick, it would be against everything my hashtag Frans believe in me.”  
  
“First of all, Mother, you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re going to have that photoshoot in two weeks. Second of all, this ‘wide world’ you’re mentioning, you know we live in Schitt’s Creek, right? So the ‘wide’ you mention is as far as the Elmdale Grocery store since I’ve been on foot.”  
  
“David, I don’t know where you go or who you see, but you are not stepping one toe in this motel and that is final.”  
“Oh my _god,_ all I did was visit with my...a, uhm....my friend, Patrick Brewer. Please, just let me in so I can shower.” David gave one final plea.  
  
Moira shot a look over to Johnny to let him know she wasn’t budging. Johnny wasn’t allowed to let David inside his room and that decision was final which made David huff in annoyance. 

“I am getting into that room, Dad! This is absurd! Just let me by.” Johnny still had his hand up and David still obeyed the distancing rule despite that he wanted so badly to charge into his room and lock the door tight.  
  
“I’m sorry son, but I can’t do that. You heard your mother and if this Patrick person has the room, I say you stay there since you said you’ve been there all day anyway.” David slammed his balled-up fists into his jeans. 

“Dad, what do you expect me to do? Just tell the guy I’m talking to that I need to stay at his house? Do you know how crazy you sound right now?” David then took in a sharp breath thinking how he just openly admitted to his Dad and the Universe that he and his new friend were _talking._ _  
_  
“I’m sorry, son, but your mother is vehement about you not stepping foot into the motel. She thinks you’ve been-”  
  
“Compromised!!” Moira shrieked from her room.  
  
“-Compromised, yes,” Johnny finished.  
  
“Well I need my things, I can’t just go back there without so much as a packed bag of my toiletries or any of my knits. I mean, that’s even if the guy lets me into his house at all.”  
  
“David, just go back to, uhm, what was his name…”  
  
“Patrick,” David sighs into his hand and shakes his head, unable to understand how his life had spun out of control so quickly.  
  
“Patrick, yes. So, go back to his house and we will drop off some of your things later.”  
  
“And, uhm, what if Patrick decides that he isn’t going to take me into his home? Do I just roam the streets like some feral cat, or…”  
  
“I don’t know, son,” Johnny whispers in an annoyed tone, “but if you stay here much longer your mother is going to have a conniption. We will stop by later and drop your things off. Just text the address to Alexis and we will be there.”  
  
“Okay, it’s just that last time I texted Alexis, she didn’t answer my text and you all showed up to the Amish farm several days later. I don’t know that I can handle even a day without my nine-step skincare regimen.”  
  
“Understood, David. We will see you later and we will make sure _Alexis_ gives us the address.” Johnny retreated awkwardly back into the room and closed the door.  
  
“Is he gone, John?” Moira attempted and failed at a whisper. “Fuck! FuckFuckFuck!!” David yelled outside of the motel. He sighed dramatically and turned into a circle around himself, not knowing exactly how to proceed. Another few more groans and dramatic sighs and David trailed on down the road, still holding his walking stick and feeling insecure where he stood.  
  


* * *

  
Patrick was cleaning the living room when he heard a rustling outside the door and some various curse words. Could it be?

There was knocking at the door, but Patrick was already there to open the screen. “David!” David was so startled by the abrupt reaction from a light tapping that he jumped back. “What are you- what are you doing here?” David moved back further than was appropriate in distance.  
  
“Ah, yeah. Uhm, funny thing,” David trailed off.  
  
“Funny thing?”  
  
“My family won’t allow me back into the motel. Is it possible if I could stay here for a little bit?”  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to dawns_early_light for the encouragement on these chapters and to all of the Rose Apothecary who have cheered me on to keep writing this. You all are quite wonderful.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Olive31 for the late night talks and inspiration for these scenes and to dawns_early_light for all of the creative energy.

He knew he had to have had a shocked look on his face because David was already backing up from the porch which gave Patrick the sudden urge to go to him and scoop him into his arms. He wanted that so badly he could barely breathe.

“I’m sorry,” David sighed, as he paced the walkway. “I shouldn’t have come back here. I don’t know...I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“David, what’s- why can’t you go home? I mean, you could probably stay here, but wouldn’t you feel safer being at the motel with your family?”

“Yeah, so that’s the thing, my family thinks I may have been compromised and that I could possibly have been infected by us just having gone on a walk.”

“Oh,” Patrick said, allowing that revelation to wash over him.

“Yeah.”

“Well, David, why don’t you come inside and we can figure something out.” Patrick soothed, hoping they could come up with a plan.

“Okay,” David agreed and walked through the door to sit back on the couch where the sheets were still draped and the pillow he’d been laying on was still there. He couldn’t help himself. He sat down, tucked his legs under himself, and held the pillow close to his chest. David looked so anxious and Patrick needed to figure out a way for him to stay. He phoned Ray and needed his roommate to not be upset with the complicated situation. He knew Ray was understanding, but during a pandemic, people were bound to have their limits.

A few minutes later, after a rather lengthy conversation with Ray, Patrick returned to David with the news.

“Okay David, well I just got off the phone with Ray and I actually have a couple of options for you.”

“Uhm, okay.”

“Okay, so Ray is staying at his mother’s house since she just had hip replacement surgery and also has rheumatoid arthritis. He wants to take care of her while we are going through the- um- the quarantine. So, if you want, you can either take his room or you can have mine. I figured you’d be more comfortable in my room, but I wanted to offer you the option.”

“So, so you’re saying that Ray won’t be staying here during the quarantine,” David questioned and tried to hide his delight. He didn’t know if he was really able to hide it or not, but his skin was buzzing and felt a delicious underlying heat.

“That’s correct,” Patrick replied as he leaned against the counter, crossing his right foot in front of his left leg and looking directly at David. He was smiling shyly and knew he must be giving himself away.

“Uhm, okay then. Yes, I would like to entertain your offer of sleeping in your room, then. That is if your room is far less sloppy than Ray’s.” Patrick was taken aback. “I’m sorry, did you say you think my room would be ‘sloppy?’” David pursed his lips in embarrassment.

“Yes, Patrick, some people have sloppy rooms and if Ray’s room is less sloppy I will probably want to stay in his. I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” David said as he danced his fingers along the side of the sofa. Patrick nodded with quiet amusement. He wondered how on earth did this shimmering unicorn come into his world with such specific opinions and impeccable taste.

“Don’t worry, David, my room isn’t sloppy. But I guess you can be the judge of that.” They didn’t realize it at first, but they were slowly being drawn to each other, bridging the gap that would inevitably bring them closer as they would spend the quarantine together. Patrick couldn’t believe his luck and from the look on David’s face, he could tell his newfound roommate was perfectly fine with Ray not staying at his own home.

“So what will Ray do? Are you taking him a suitcase of clothes or any bags of groceries?”

“Yeah, I am waiting for him to make a list and then I will put it all together. Luckily, I went to the store yesterday and bought enough to last for two weeks. So I won’t need to leave for, uh, for any reason except to drop off what Ray needs. But why don’t we- we take you upstairs and I can show you the rooms? That way you can pick which one you want and I’ll clean it to make room for your things.” Patrick realized he needed to slow down. Being around David brought about the slight stutter he had from when he was a kid and was faced with nervousness.

“Sounds fine. Thanks.” They made their way up the stairs, mindful of their proximity and sure enough, after looking into each room, David picked Patrick’s. He could tell how tidy Patrick always kept his space; David dragged one finger on the table next to the TV and there was no trace of dust. It warmed Patrick to know that he could make David so visibly impressed.

“I think this will do just fine,” David remarked as he took the room in, gasping while looking around at the tasteless decor. Patrick could tell that David needed a minute. “Take all of the time you need, I’ll be in Ray’s room changing the sheets and making it a space that I can live in. When you’re done, I will wash the bedding and we can put some fresh sheets on or you can do that yourself. Whatever you feel comfortable with.” David nodded and looked around the room still. It wasn’t the motel with his creature comforts, but at least he wasn’t kicked to the street and he was grateful.

“Thank you, Patrick,” David said as he turned towards him, “you’ve been very generous to me and nice and I plan to not be a nuisance to you.”

“Oh. Well. That’s good to hear, because the last guy who was a nuisance who slept in my room I had to throw all of his things into the front lawn,” Patrick replied with a smile. David gulped loudly and shook his head. “I’m kidding, you’d be the first to sleep in my room since I’ve been here and I don’t foresee kicking you out, so, as for now, we’re roommates. If you, uh, if that’s what you want still.”

“Well, since I don’t seem to have a choice and you’re willing to take me in, I will take you up on your offer.”

“Good, well I’ll leave you to it.” Patrick left the room and looked over his shoulder back to David who was also looking in his direction. He smiled and opened Ray’s door across the hall. Upon entering, he closed the door gently and pressed his back against it, sighing heavily, hoping David wouldn’t hear. He was hopelessly falling for the man who would now be sleeping in his bed during a quarantine no one knew how long would last. He was ecstatic and nothing could take away this good feeling.

He could feel it, the connection building between them. Suddenly Patrick’s heart burst from his chest thinking about how this was the first time he had been attracted to a man and that man was in his room. His libido was at an alltime high like he was a teenager trying to sort out the difference between infatuation or lust. But he wasn’t, in actuality, some horny or head in-the-clouds teenager, he needed to respond the way a man in his thirties would respond and not get so hung up on the infatuation of it all.

After some time had passed and Patrick had stored away some of Ray’s clothing and various knicknacks, he ambled over to his actual bedroom hoping David had gone back downstairs so he could grab some of his things. Snagging a few linens from the cabinet and padding down the hallway, he could hear some light sniffling and upon getting closer, he could hear faint crying.

Patrick swung wide the already cracked open door and approached the bed David was lying in; Patrick’s bed. David was crumpled on his side, facing away from Patrick and all Patrick wanted to do was go to him and make him feel better. He had circled ‘yes’ using the sidewalk chalk to Patrick’s questions, so he hoped it wasn’t presumptuous to think he couldn’t comfort him, especially in that David was now in his bed, in his room, in his house. Still, he wanted to have consent.

He sat on the edge of the bed opposite of David on the farthest corner. David was clinging to the right side of the bed above the blankets, and Patrick lightly whispered to him. “Hey, it’s okay David. I’m here.” David clung to the pillow and cried a little harder, eliciting Patrick’s response to get closer. All he wanted was to make David’s pain go away.

“David, is it okay if I get closer to you?” Patrick asked and David turned his head to nod in his direction. It was all the go-ahead Patrick needed.

He took off his shoes and slid towards David, wrapping a tentative arm around his torso and tucking his head behind David’s. Involuntarily, Patrick breathed David’s scent and oh was it heavenly. David responded in kind by adjusting his body back into Patrick’s and wrapping his arm around Patrick’s forearm.

“I just can’t believe this,” David croaked and allowed the tears to keep falling. Patrick reached over to the nightstand and pulled the tissues for David to cry into.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart,” and, woah, that was a word Patrick hadn’t expected to use in such a short amount of time from meeting David. “Wh-what’s wrong, David? Are you worried about your family?”

“I am, “ David muttered, “of course I am, it’s just…” He was having a difficult time letting out his feelings so Patrick just held him tighter and waited for him to continue. “It’s that I didn’t want this to happen, not this soon. I wanted to get to know you properly and now I feel like...I feel like I killed this connection between us.” Patrick let out a low laugh thinking how could David think that when he had his arms wrapped around him showing him he didn’t want to let go.

Patrick then let out the sigh he didn’t realize he had held in since David had arrived. “Oh, David. You didn’t ruin anything. I’m glad you’re here. I-I am.”

“Really? I didn’t make this awkward for you? I know you wrote what you did on the driveway, but you could have just done that to be nice.” David was spiraling so Patrick didn’t hesitate. He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to David’s neck where the short hairs were cut perfectly along the side. David hummed while also leaning into Patrick’s lips which were having their cursory display across David’s skin. Patrick wanted to add a little bit of tongue, but he didn’t want to cross the line, so he just sighed happily into David’s neck and pulled back a little, hearing the whine coming from David.

“This isn’t awkward, David. I really do like you and I’m glad we get to spend time together, but I want to go slow and show you how much I want you here. Can you trust me, David?” He hoped the answer was yes, otherwise why did he allow David to take his room in the first place. There was a lot of uncertainty with the arrangement, but Patrick was willing to explore that. He was overjoyed but didn’t let David in on it when David tangled their fingers together, holding Patrick tighter to him. Patrick was relieved David had stopped crying and let Patrick hold him. Patrick didn’t realize at first, but smiled into David’s neck and said, “by the way, if there’s a heist, you’d be glad to know that I am closest to the door.”

David lifted their clasped hands to put a gentle kiss to Patrick’s fingers. “Thank you for choosing to be murdered first.” Patrick shivered, feeling like he never wanted this feeling to end. “My pleasure, David.”

They laid there like that until David’s breathing evened out and they both fell asleep. If you had asked Patrick, he would have told you nothing in his life had ever felt more right than laying there with David wrapped in his arms. It wasn’t something he’d expected to do with someone whom he only recently met, but David was special and Patrick wanted to treat him like the prince that he was. He barely knew David, but something inside of him was screaming at him that this was the one and not to let him get away. With the quarantine, it would hardly seem possible that they could get away from one another and Patrick was thrilled. How strange it was to have such a feeling of finality, of finding ‘your lobster’ as his ex had said to him, but this wasn’t some conjecture, this felt like love-at-first-sight. What they wrote about in storybooks, and Patrick thought how lucky he might be to have finally met his fairytale prince when his whole life he was told to be looking for a princess.

Drifting off to sleep, Patrick dreamed of his favorite Grimm fairytale, Little Briar Rose that his mother used to read to him. Patrick fought off the dragons and witches’ spells to get to his sleeping Rose who had been asleep for one hundred years, waiting for true-love’s kiss to break the spell.

* * *

Sometime later Patrick awoke to an empty bed. Not attempting to draw sour conclusions, he looked around the room for any clues as to where David had gone. He changed clothes and walked down the stairs where he could hear the exasperated tone David was having with his family. When David ended the call, Patrick descended the last couple of steps on the staircase and tapped lightly on the wall next to the kitchen in hopes to not startle his new houseguest.

“Hey,” David responded just above a whisper when he spun around to the rapping sound.

“Hey,” Patrick echoed back. “ Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah, uhm, thank you. I just got a phone call from my family and they’re going to drop off a few of my things to your house, that is if the arrangement is still on?”

“Yes, David, the arrangement is still on. Happy to have you here. Ray is staying the whole quarantine with his mother. My room is all yours.” David was still cautious and Patrick understood this would take time to build trust and respect with him, and that’s what he set out to do.

“Thanks, Patrick. I know you didn’t have to do this, so, thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure. Now, what should we do about dinner?”

* * *

David received the text from his sister that they’d just pulled up to the house. David had been watching Notting Hill with Patrick while waiting for his things to arrive, including what was most important; his chest of sweaters.

“So where’s...where’s the chest with my sweaters in them?”

“Oh my god, David, no one in this family, not even you can lift that thing. But we did transfer them into this big cardboard box Stevie let us have.”

“Ew, Alexis! Incorrect!”

“Well this is the best we can do, David. I couldn’t even get mom to help me pack any of this stuff for you.

“David, stop looking like a flustered flamingo and help Alexis with the boxes,” Moira called from the car.

“Alright, this is all becoming just a little too confusing. Do you want me to distance myself from you all or do you want me to help Alexis with the boxes? I can’t do both.”

“I don’t know dear, we just need to go. Alexis!! Hurry, please!”

“Mom!” David called, “literally no one said you had to come here. You could have just stayed at the motel while Alexis dropped everything off.” Patrick stood at the doorway to watch the Rose family bicker and carry on in his front yard.

“I know, dear, but what if this is the last time I see you. You are my first born, after all, so I thought I would at least come over and say goodbye before the virus takes you.”

“Wow! That’s bleak! Now would be the time to stop declaring that I have the...thing. Thank you so much! I mean, all I did was go on a walk with - with Patrick - and now you’re saying I am not allowed in the motel because you think I have it.”

“Oh!” Moira yelled distractedly, removing her sunglasses, looking past David towards the porch, “You must be Pat!” David mumbled under his breath, “well I guess I didn’t know I was finished with that conversation.”

“Patrick, mom!” David shouted, “we are not doing ‘Pat.’”

“It’s nice to meet you, Patrick! Surely you will take care of our David, won’t you?” David turned to look at Patrick who just stood amused.

“Mother! This is embarrassing on so many levels,” David cried.

“Hello, Mrs. Rose!” Patrick called out. “Nice to meet you. Don’t worry, David is in good hands. He has a room to call his own. He’ll be fine.”

“Oh, thank you, Patrick. I’m sorry, I just have some mellifluous choral engagements coming up and I mustn’t get sick. You understand dear.”

“Yes, it’s fine, Mrs. Rose. We’ll be fine.”

“Good to know, dear, and David, don’t be too vexatious and help Patrick around the house when he needs it, okay?”

“Oh my god, can you leave, please?”

Alexis unloaded the last of the boxes and a duffle bag on the driveway. Before getting back into the car, she turns solemnly to look at her brother. It’s a private moment so Patrick steps inside to give them a little space.

“Listen David,” Alexis says calmly towards her brother. “I know you think that I will be reckless and go against the Mayor’s wishes during quarantine, but I make a promise to you, since you won’t be around to bug me, that I will stay put at the motel and I won’t go anywhere except for my morning runs. Okay? I’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Alexis. I don’t want to have to worry about you getting this thing.”

“You don’t have to worry, David. I’ll also take very good care of mom and dad.”

“Okay, this helps a lot. Perhaps I can actually sleep now knowing you won’t leave the motel.”

“Um, well I mean I may not leave the motel a lot a lot, but I’ll find ways to pass the time. I did recently discover Zoom so perhaps on those lonely nights Ted and I can-”

“Yeah, I’m gonna stop you right there. I don’t need the details.”

“Fine, David. Just know that I will be fine. Mom, dad, me, we will be fine.”

“Okay. I need you to look out for them since I can’t be there.”

“I will, David, don’t worry. And, um, I really like this little button-face you stumbled upon. He seems to tolerate you.”

“Mmkay, I think we’re done here.”

“Don’t mess that up, David. Otherwise you could become homeless.”

“Oh my god, you all are insufferable.”

“Hey David?” Alexis asked. “What?” David replied. Then she took her index finger and motioned as if she was booping David’d nose from six feet away.  
“Thanks for being a great older brother, David. Love you.” David backed away carrying some of the boxes holding back the unshed tears in his eyes.

“I can’t stay here anymore, David! You’re in a nest of infestation in there at Ray’s! Sorry my bebe boy. Wishing you all the best with dear Pat. We all have to fend for ourselves in this time of utter desolation!”

David sighed. “Well you don’t have to scream at me from the car like I’m some helpless meerkat?? Go away then!”

As soon as Moira and Alexis left, David had to wipe the tears from his eyes. He never was someone who warmed up in the thought of hugging but he really wanted to hug his family there in the driveway.

Patrick approached him and wrapped a tentative arm around his waist. They picked upDavid’s clothes and toiletries and headed inside. David wiped away his tears and Patrick asked if there was something he wanted to watch. David replied he could watch anything but the news. Patrick was glad they were both on the same page with that sentiment. Patrick didn’t want to watch anything on the news for the foreseeable future.

“Uhm. Okay,” David sniffed long and loud. “Do you have The Lake House?”

“David, didn’t we watch a different Sandra Bullock vehicle yesterday?”

“Yes, but that was Speed and this is a romantic comedy. That is if you like them. We don’t have to watch if you don’t-”

“It’s okay, David. I’m fine with a romantic comedy. Maybe it’s just what we need to calm our nerves from the events of today, yeah?” Patrick leaned down to kiss David’s forehead as he wrapped a blanket around him and searched Ray’s collection of DVDs for the romantic movies on the shelf. Sure enough, The Lake House was part of Ray’s collection.

They hadn’t kissed for real yet, but Patrick could feel it building and that constant thought had never felt more electrifying to Patrick. He hoped beyond the happy movies that the way to David’s heart would be comfort foods. Soon, David would show Patrick just how right in his thinking he was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait and release one big chapter tomorrow, but decided to break it up. Hope you like the new chapter!

**Chapter 5 recap:** **  
** **  
** Patrick approached him and wrapped a tentative arm around his waist. They picked up David’s clothes and toiletries and headed inside. David wiped away his tears and Patrick asked if there was something he wanted to watch. David replied he could watch anything but the news. Patrick was glad they were both on the same page with that sentiment. Patrick didn’t want to watch anything on the news for the foreseeable future.

“Uhm. Okay,” David sniffed long and loud. “Do you have The Lake House?”

“David, didn’t we watch a different Sandra Bullock vehicle yesterday?”

“Yes, but that was Speed and this is a romantic comedy. That is if you like them. We don’t have to watch if you don’t-”

“It’s okay, David. I’m fine with a romantic comedy. Maybe it’s just what we need to calm our nerves from the events of today, yeah?” Patrick leaned down to kiss David’s forehead as he wrapped a blanket around him and searched Ray’s collection of DVDs for the romantic movies on the shelf. Sure enough, _The Lake House_ was part of Ray’s collection.

They hadn’t kissed for real yet, but Patrick could feel it building and that constant thought had never felt more electrifying to Patrick. He hoped beyond the happy movies that the way to David’s heart would be comfort foods. Soon, David would show Patrick just how right in his thinking he was.

* * *

**  
** Patrick was still not sure about approaching David. Sure he’d kissed David’s forehead and held him in his bed while he cried, but he wasn’t sure exactly how to proceed, even if every cell in his body was aching for David Rose. Instead of relentlessly agonizing over the idea, Patrick decided to switch over the laundry, make David’s bed, fluff up the pillows to make the bed seem more homey, and prepared his mother’s homemade tomato soup on the stove.  
  
“I hope you like grilled cheese sandwiches, David, because they go famously with my mom’s tomato and basil soup,” he called out.  
  
“Yes, mmhm, I love all of that. Really I am not that picky of an eater.” Patrick was relieved to hear that information as they’d be sharing the same types of foods together for the remainder of the quarantine. Patrick wouldn’t mind if David had specific tastes for other things, but knowing he was up for anything made the transition so much better knowing they could eat what was in Patrick’s fully stocked kitchen.  
  
“Would you also like a red wine? I think we have an Apothic Red that would go nicely with the meal.”  
  
“Yes, that sounds nice, thank you, Patrick.” 

A few minutes later Patrick was finishing up the soup and David was buzzing around the kitchen gathering napkins and silverware Patrick was directing him towards. “Smells delicious. You say this is your mom’s recipe?” Patrick turned his head a little to see David at the opposite end of the counter. “Yep, she’s the best. Always knew how to make the best soups for rainy days.”  
  
“Oh, is it raining?” David asked and then looked outside the window in the breakfast nook.  
  
“No. Well, I mean, not yet. I hear it’s in the forecast. I just meant she really liked this combination; grilled cheese and tomato soup. Have you had them before?”  
  
“Separately, not together in a combination, no.”  
  
“Well, David, I think you will find this is a match made in heaven,” Patrick said as he placed the grilled cheese sandwiches on the plates, hoping to hide the blush creeping on his neck. When he looked at David, he could see the smug look on his face. Maybe it was just his imagination. More than anything, he enjoyed showing David new things he'd never seen or heard of before. To see David's face light up while playing Battleship or look upon his chiseled face to see him bouncing for joy at the thought of pairing a soup and sandwich together. Maybe David could teach him something new, too. The thought sent ripples of electricity down his spine of what that could be. 

“I think I will be the judge of that, but this food already smells orgasmic, so I can hardly wait.” Patrick blushed again. He was really going to need to keep the pigment of his skin under control around David. He set down David’s plate for him and bunched up the hoodie he was wearing to hide his flushed skin.  
  
“Don’t,” Patrick looked up from where he had placed his own plate on the table. “You’re beautiful when you blush. Don’t try to hide it.” Patrick’s face went fully beet red at this point, and he didn’t know what to say, so he just opened his hoodie a little in front to show he was listening to David. Truth be told, he was hanging on to every word David said ever since coming into his life. He was also hoping that the boldness emanating off of David would fill him up and make him just as courageous. 

* * *

  
  
Their dinner was full of lovely conversation and light banter just as there was on the driveway earlier that day, which seemed like ages and ages ago. The day had several ups and downs of its own, but David and Patrick were to be quarantined together for the foreseeable future and Patrick wanted to make each of those days count. He just needed to muster up the courage to ask David on a real date. He lost his nerve several times trying to get the words out and retrieved the Rocky Road ice cream sitting in a container in the freezer. Dishing out two bowls worth, he nervously clinked the spoons into each bowl, wincing as he did so. 

**  
**“Is everything okay?” David asked and took a bite of ice cream.  
  
“Yes, sorry David, I just have a lot on my mind.”   
  
“Oh.” David hesitated to take another bite, looking guilty and downtrodden. “Is it because of me?”  
  
“Oh, uh, no. Well, yes...” David sank in his seat. “I mean, not like that, David.” _Oh god,_ he was really failing at trying to be romantic. Patrick took a deep breath.

“David, today was a lot. I know it was for me, it probably was for you too. We don’t need to go into that or anything.” He hesitated just a little more. “I asked you how you felt about me earlier with the chalk because I like you...and I wanted to ask you on a real date. I’m just...well I’m really new to this…” Patrick trailed off.  
  
“Um..okay?...” David looked at him with soft but concerned eyes. “You’ve never asked someone out on a date before?” Patrick smiled down at his bowl of ice cream, poking his spoon into the confection.  
  
“No, I...I have asked _women_ on dates before. Just never any guys.” Patrick looked up at David, his eyes hopeful.  
  
“Patrick....”  
  
“So, yeah, um, I had that all planned out in my mind of what I was going to say and then everything happened.” David looked squarely into Patrick’s eyes across the table. “Would you let me take you on a date tomorrow?” Patrick was probably two seconds of losing his nerve and he was now baring his heart before David in a way he had never done before, and all he was doing was asking a man on a date.  
  
“But where can we go? We can’t exactly leave.”  
  
“I know, and I know the quarantine situation is putting a damper on us getting to know each other the proper way, but I want to at least try.” Patrick could feel the sweat on his palms; asking women on dates had always seemed to work like a charm, but asking a man on a date was something foreign to him. Maybe David wanted to be the one to ask, but he shoved that thought away for the time being; Patrick wanted to put himself on the line and put into practice those efforts of truly being bold.  
  
“I don’t know what to say.”  
  
“Well I’m hoping you’ll say yes and stop leaving me in suspense,” Patrick said teasingly. “And don’t worry about the details or how it won’t feel like a date, I will take care of that.”  
  
“Okay, I think...I think I would like that very much. So yes, I accept.” David nodded his head to Patrick and gave a knowing smile. If the look of relief on Patrick’s face was a dead giveaway, David didn’t let it on.   
  
There was an unspoken conversation they were having. David knew this was a big moment for Patrick and his journey with his sexuality, to put himself out there in front of another man. It showed vulnerability and strength; David had the kindest and most sincere eyes in that moment that Patrick had ever seen giving the confidence he’d been wanting.   
  
“Okay, should we say seven o’clock, my place?” David gave a low chuckle, taking in this sweet gentleman in front of him. Patrick warmed immediately from the hungry look David suddenly gave him from across the table. “Your place, seven o’clock. I’ll be there.”  
  


* * *

  
Not too long after dinner, they’d gone to bed. David in Patrick’s room and Patrick in Ray’s room. Patrick was almost asleep when he heard the sniffling again. He tiptoed his way to David’s room as not to startle him, checking up on his new room mate. “...David?” He whispered into the room. David turned to look in his direction. “I’m fine, Patrick. It’s fine.”  
  
“You don’t sound fine. May I come in?”

“Um. Okay.” David’s voice broke on the second word. Patrick went over to the side of the bed where David was and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to help?”  
  
David took a long, shuddering breath. “Do you...do you think you could hold me again like you did before?” Patrick nodded. If David didn’t want to open up verbally more than he already had, Patrick would accept comforting him in other ways.  
  
A smile grew on Patrick’s face when David looked up at him and drew the blankets back, gesturing for Patrick to join him. “You don’t have to stay long if you don’t want to.”  
  


“I’ll stay for as long as you want me to, David. I’ll stay.” David turned away frmo him. Patrick aligned his body to be flush with David’s, his right arm sliding under David’s neck and his other arm wrapped around his torso, resting his hand over David’s heart. “Is this okay?”  
  
David kissed the top of Patrick’s hand as he wove his fingers into Patrick’s and let out a relaxed sigh. “Yes, this is perfect.” David scooted back into him and Patrick was so glad that he wasn’t turned on. He made sure to jerk-off in the shower before bed so that he didn’t need to wake up in the middle of the night and do it then. Having David a few feet away from his room seemed nearly dangerous. Patrick was already feeling primal around his new houseguest.   
  
Every fiber in Patrick’s being made this moment feel right for him and all he wanted was to stay like this forever with David, keeping him wrapped snug in his arms. He didn’t have to worry about anyone interrupting them. There were no other people staying in the house. It was just them in their own little world. Patrick fell asleep with David, but he kept coming back to consciousness throughout the night, sometimes when he would wake up with a jolt, David rubbed his arm and kissed it before falling back to sleep. It was a pattern Patrick could definitely get used to.  
  
Finally at 6am, when he was still restless with his thoughts, he kissed David’s shoulder and untangled himself from David’s grip.  
  
Patrick left the house to take a light run around the neighborhood and pick up a drum of filtered water which he carried home almost a full half-mile, nearly throwing out his back. Since he’d had that full surge of adrenaline from being with David all night, he felt like he could do anything. Patrick brought the water around to the garage and made his way inside. David still wasn’t up so Patrick took a quick shower downstairs and then proceeded to make breakfast. He figured if the sizzling sounds wouldn’t wake David, the smell of the bacon would.  
  


When David trudged his way down the stairs, Patrick had made a full breakfast of muffins, pancakes, bacon and eggs, and omelettes.  
  
David wiped the sleep from his eyes and said, “ _Well_ , someone’s been busy.” Patrick looked more than pleased to see this rumpled version of David and replied, “Oh yeah, I’ve been up since five. Could not sleep. Been thinkin’ about stuff, you know, yesterday and last night.” Patrick smiled at David as he spoke, flipping the last of the pancakes.  
  
“Oh, so, regrets?” David took a tentative step back, cueing Patrick to take steps toward him, abandoning his cooking for a moment to be more attentive to the conversation. “No, no, no, David. No regrets. I feel good. I feel like a weight has sort of been lifted off my shoulders. Like I said yesterday, it’s still all very new. A lot to process.”   
  
Patrick stepped forward until he was finally in front of David. He kissed David’s cheek and immediately saw the blush rising on his gorgeous face. Patrick ran his hand down David’s arm letting him know that there was nothing he could possibly regret from spending yesterday with David and them spending quarantine together.  
  
“I just wanted to say, before we have breakfast, thank you for being there for me last night. This whole thing has me spinning around and spiraling. I’m not sure exactly what came over me.”  
  
“It’s not a problem, David. You have nothing to apologize for. What’s happening in our world is a lot for anyone to handle, but I can promise you that I will be there for you when you need me. And also, if you don’t want me around, I hope you’ll say so. This is going to take some time getting used to, but I think if we just learn to trust each other, and open ourselves up to whatever this is, we will be fine.” David’s face softened and his eyes were dark, flicking from Patrick’s eyes to his mouth. They were both drawn to each other like magnets when…  
  


“Knock Knock!! Hello, Patrick!” _Ray._ The two men jumped apart from each other, looking over to the door where Ray stood, looking at them with the widest, biggest grin possible, through the glass door that was locked from the inside. Patrick was stunned for a few seconds and glanced from Ray to David and then back over to Ray, catching his breath. Patrick then retrieved the boxes from Ray’s room that he had prepared and packed.  
  
“Hey, Ray,” Patrick said, still trying to catch his breath. “Sorry...you are a little early. Hang on just a second and I will put everything on the doorstep for you.” He motioned around David, lightly touching his hip as he went, David grazing his shoulder with his ringed hand. It felt utterly domestic, like they had done the dance a thousand times, but this was their first.  
  
“Excellent” Ray chirped. “How are _you,_ David? Adjusting well?”  
  
“I’m fine, Ray, thanks.”  
  
Patrick stacked the boxes for his roommate to take, thanked him for allowing David to stay at their place, and wished him well with his mother and her recovery. Once Ray was gone, he locked the door and turned to David. “Let’s eat! Quickly before it gets cold.”  
  
“Way ahead of you,” David replied as he snatched another strip of bacon from the pan.  
  
Once the smorgasbord of a breakfast had been consumed and Patrick could mentally save all of the facial expressions David had for the various breakfast foods, David cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen. Patrick gave a full tour of the house to David showing him the two adjoining offices, the sunroom, Ray’s DVD collection along the shelves in the living area, the laundry room, the kitchen with every designated drawer and cabinet and its category, the garage, the old hot tub collecting dust, and the patio.  
  
After the tour and feeling satisfied David could navigate his way around the house on his own, Patrick set off to prepare the backyard and patio for his first date with David while David took the afternoon getting adjusted to Patrick’s room, arranging his things in the drawers and closets.  
  
While David was finishing up what he was doing, his phone rang. “Oh my god, Stevie, I can’t believe I haven’t called you.” There was a pause and then she replied, “you mean you forgot to tell me that you were going to be sequestered with Pat-rick for the quarantine? _That_ phone call?”  
  
“Yes, mmhm, one and the same.”   
  
“I hate you.” David laughed. “Meanwhile I am stuck at the motel making sure every guest is checked out except your family and sleeping on a cot in the back.”  
  
“Ew, a cot? Why?”   
  
“Long story, But apparently someone in my apartment complex thought they had the virus. I wasn’t allowed in so I was stuck here overnight and I haven’t been given the ‘okay’ to get back in.”  
  
“Oh, sorry to hear-”  
  
“Yeah, I guess we can’t all be lucky to be stuck with a man who fills out a pair of jeans the way _your man_ does.”  
  
“Ohmygod, Patrick is _not_ my man.”  
  
“- _Yet_. Not your man, _yet_. Just give it time. Has he kissed you?”  
  
“No, we had a moment earlier, but Ray, his roommate came over and interrupted-”  
  
“Oh my _god_ , _Ray_ is his roommate?”  
  
“Well, technically I am Patrick’s roommate if we are going to be technical about it.”  
  
“You are in _so_ much trouble. That guy _really_ likes you. Do you have anything planned for tonight with him?”  
  
“He is taking me on a date tonight. In his backyard.” David smiled while he spoke to Stevie, it was like he was in his own version of a fairytale.

Stevie squealed. “Oh my _godddd_ , he is totally going to kiss you! Are you excited for your big first date?”  
  
David chuckled low, “yes, I’m _very_ excited.”  
  
"I _like_ this for you, David. He seems like a real eligible bachelor."  
  
For the first time in a long time, David felt one of the carefully constructed walls he'd built up come tumbling down. Maybe it was the reassuring words from his best friend or maybe it was the sign of the times and David needed to lean into this serendipitous experience. David found he really liked this for himself too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really feeling a rhythm with this story, so I really appreciate the feedback you have.  
> Hope you are staying happy and healthy.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness! I forgot to thank Olive31 for all of the brainstorming she and I did for this chapter! If it were for her encouragement, this story would have died. So thank you, Olive31!

  
Since most of his more polished clothes were in the honeymoon suite at the motel, David had to make do with the very little selection he had for his date with Patrick that night. Regardless of whether or not Patrick felt the exact same way for David that he felt for him, which was for the most part very new and exhilarating almost to the point of making him nauseous, he still wanted to dress in his finest casual for the occasion.  
  
Doing whatever he could do to pass the time until seven, David landed on his choice of black sweater with a white heart on the chest. His heart, for all its pretenses, was wide open to Patrick, especially upon finding how much Patrick was trusting him. Patrick opened up his home to David, no questions asked. This was the most unusual occurrence David had ever heard of, to be quarantined with someone, much less someone whom he was just developing feelings for. David opted for his white jeans with artistic splotches all over them and his Rick Owens high tops. He was ready and it was only- _fuck-_ five o’clock. Instead of catastrophizing, he opted to sketch a little in his notebook to pass the next two hours.  
  
It was amazing how David’s pen and sketch pencils glided with ease across the paper, displaying all the ideas David had had crammed into his brain for months. With not having his family or anyone coming or going at the motel, he could actually make lists of all of his dreams and aspirations. Knowing no one would be looking, nor seizing the opportunity to steal his journal, save for Patrick, who seemed like the kind of person who would never violate someone’s privacy, he could list the possible, impossible, and everything in between. And who would really care about the in between anyway? This was all the musings and doodles of the inner workings of David Rose.  
  
Only a few times did David get distracted by the wafts of garlic or sharp cheddar cheese or the smell of different herbs being tossed together in that most heavenly of smells…. _butter._ David tried not to think about what Patrick was making for dinner, it wasn’t his business, not _yet_ anyway.  
  


Before too long and with smudges all over David’s fingers, his ten minute alarm rang out. David scurried into the bathroom, washed all of the lead off of his fingers, and made his way merrily down the stairs towards the living room.  
  
As he neared the end of the staircase, Patrick came around the corner to greet him at the bottom and reached out his hand. David placed a tentative hand into Patrick’s and marveled at the man before him. He wore a patterned blue button-up, a dark blue blazer, and midnight blue denim jeans that accentuated his frame nicely. David was smitten, that was certain.  
  
“Good evening, David, you look nice,” Patrick said while still holding onto his hand. “Will you join me out on the patio? The chef served our meals on the table out there,” Patrick said with a wink. David nodded his head, already impressed, and Patrick led them out to the patio, keeping David close to him. Once David stepped foot outside, he was met with the soft glow of the bistro lights hanging along the pergola over the expanse of the patio. It warmed David up inside thinking about how much time Patrick took to hang the lights by himself and clean the patio furniture up to a first-date-shine just to impress the socks off of David. The table was dressed with an off-white table cloth, floating tea lights in a squatty vase with pink roses floating around them, and the table set to a three-course perfection. Around them were the sounds of music David had remembered hearing his nanny, Adelina, playing while she cared for him in the nursery. 

“Is this...George Gershwin?” David asked, as he tried to place the composer. 

Patrick smiled and said, “yes, it is, he’s one of my favorites. Especially for an outdoor setting. His music always reminds me of the 4th of July and being with others grilling in the backyard.” Either it was the light shining in his eyes or the look of glee on his face, but Patrick had a devastatingly charmed look on his face knowing he had just scored major points on the atmosphere.  
  
“Well I like it,” David said just above a whisper, earning another earnest smile from his date.  
  
“Please have a seat, David. Here at Chez Brewer, we take pride in making sure our guests are of the highest priority. Dare I say it is the _best_ steakhouse in all of Schitt’s Creek?”  
  
“Mm! Quite a bold claim, Mr. Brewer, as I have yet to try your steak.”  
  
“Oh trust me, David, it really is the best in town.” David scrunched his face up into a sweet sideways grin and Patrick used the opportunity to unveil their meals which were still steaming from under the plates covering them. David gasped when he saw filet mignon, cooked to a perfect medium rare, just the way he preferred; garlic mashed potatoes; and seasoned broccoli. Under a napkin next to the plate was a caprese salad made with thick slices of fresh Buffalo mozzarella, heirloom beefsteak tomatoes and hand torn basil. Next to that was a basket of warm, crusty rolls with a ramekin of garlic and herb compound butter. Everything smelled divine and David was almost beyond words looking at the spread before him.  
  
“Well, Patrick, I am suitably impressed,” he said in a low voice, looking up bashfully at Patrick through his long lashes. Patrick adjusted his chair after getting everything situated and out of the way so that they could enjoy their meal without the clutter.  
  
“I’m so glad to hear it, David. Please, after you,” he gestured for David to start eating, so he did. Patrick cut into his steak just a couple of seconds after David did and their moans around the initial taste of their steaks was almost sinful. Patrick was right that this was the best restaurant in Schitt’s Creek and he also never knew of a steakhouse, even in New York, that could cook steak the way Patrick had cooked this one into submission. There was only one way to put it, Patrick was magical when it came to food and anything he touched turned to gold, at least as far as David was concerned. David spent a couple of years in New York, and would often be the guinea pig for his friends who worked at the Bon Appetit test kitchen tasting certain dishes they made. These were highly trained and well seasoned veteran chefs and they had nothing on Patrick.  
  
“My _god,_ Patrick. This is the most...I’ve never...how did you do this?” Patrick beamed and David wanted to keep showering him with more and more compliments just to get that beautiful smile to keep showing up. “Thank you, David. This marinade and seasonings recipe is a very old Brewer-family recipe. It actually tastes even better if I let the meat soak in the marinade longer.”  
  
“Oh _god._ I cannot imagine a steak tasting any better than this. Bravo, Patrick Brewer. You can make me steak anytime.” Patrick blushed and dug into the other parts of his plate and watched as David devoured and made the most delicious of sounds as he ate everything Patrick gave him.  
  
“Hope you save some room for dessert, David, because I have something waiting for us in the refrigerator.” David sat up a little straighter and grinned even brighter over at Patrick who was looking just a little smug. If he didn’t stop smiling soon, his cheeks would ache, not that he really cared. No one made David smile the way he’d done so around Patrick. David allowed Patrick to be smug, at least just this once. Patrick had prepared a really splendid date for him and it was going perfectly.  
  


“You just keep impressing me tonight,” David cooed. 

“That’s the idea,” Patrick replied and kept his gaze for most of the meal. After dinner was over, Patrick took their dinner plates inside the house and brought out a tray of milk chocolate and white chocolate covered strawberries. Now all of those intoxicating smells that had filled the air earlier this afternoon made sense. He saw that Patrick had been melting it over the stove in the double boiler. David bit into the large strawberry, covered with Ghiradelli milk chocolate, a tiny bit landing on the edge of his mouth. Patrick wanted so badly to lean over and kiss it from his lips, but knew it wasn’t the moment yet. So he watched, silently tormented, as David’s tongue swept to the corner of that beautiful mouth to retrieve the bit of escaped chocolate that had gathered there. Instead he took the present he’d lightly wrapped with tissue paper and placed it on the table across from David.  
  
“What’s this?” David asked and looked hesitantly at the wrapped package. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” Patrick frowned a little but gained his courage back. 

“I know, but I saw it at the second-hand bookstore down the road,” Patrick explained as David removed the tissue paper. He uncovered a 15th Special Edition version of Bridget Jones’s Diary clad with ‘Unseen Deleted Footage’ and ‘Featurettes with Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant.’ David was floored.  
  
“Patrick...” David started to say, looking up so fondly into Patrick’s eyes. This man saw him, he _truly_ saw David for who he was and that was a big deal. Patrick paid attention to him when he listed off his favorite movie, and instead of shying away from the discovery of a romantic comedy or a film his sister usually rolled her eyes at, Patrick _bought_ a special anniversary copy for _him._  
  
Patrick was feeling insecure and uncomfortable all at once with David’s lack of response to the gift, so instead of letting the moment hang, he said, “it’s nothing, David. If you don’t like it-”  
  
“-Don’t like it?” David interrupted him. “Patrick, no one has ever done anything like all of this,” David gestured with his hands around himself, “...for me before. You went all out and even bought me my favorite movie. This is _not nothing._ So, thank you.” Patrick blushed and David took his hand that was resting across the table from him. “And just so you know,” David continued, “I know that this has been the most unusual way to start dating someone, but I’m fine with this. With getting close to you, I mean.” Patrick looked down where David’s hand had covered Patrick’s, trying to think of what to say and falling short. “That also goes without saying that I hope you’re okay with this too,” David finished and then cautiously pulled his hand back. 

Patrick caught it and replied softly, “No, David, I like this too. It _is_ a little unusual, but I’m not scared. I wouldn’t have asked you on this date if I didn’t have hope that we could be doing this,” he said as he gestured to their hands. David gave a squeeze to Patrick’s and then it was time for Patrick to explain a couple of things.  
“You’re welcome, David, I actually was going to give it to you the other day, the movie, I mean. When we were going to go on a walk, but it rained, so I just saved it.” David nodded and clutched the movie to his heart with his free hand as Patrick spoke. “I think there is also a poster on the inside of the packaging when you open it.”   
  


The unshed tears in David’s eyes were about to break free so he answered with, “Could we go inside and watch it? I’d like to show you why I like Miss Jones so much.” Patrick agreed and led them away from the table, still keeping hold of David’s hand. Patrick was almost to the door with their empty tray and wine glasses when David leaned in using their clasped hands to pull Patrick back to give him a kiss on the cheek. Patrick turned slightly to look at David and provided a sincere Patrick smile, the one where it showed more in his eyes than his lips, one that made David melt anytime he saw it and being around Patrick, he was starting to see and categorize all of his smiles. It was becoming his new favorite hobby.  
  
Patrick dimmed the lights and David grabbed his wrist to bring him over to the couch. They fell into the cushions and there it was, the heat that had been simmering was now to a boil. David leaned in to wrap his arms fully around Patrick’s shoulders and held him there on the couch. Patrick held on tight to David’s back, fingers spread wide along the expanse of his sweatered frame, while David rubbed his own hands along Patrick’s shoulders, sighing softly into their embrace and feeling the warmth radiating off of the man he was nestled up to. By the time they broke apart, the moment was even more electrified, they could both feel it between them. Patrick moved slowly out from David’s shoulder, becoming so close that their faces were just a breath apart.  
  


Placing his hand against Patrick’s sternum, he pushed Patrick back a little and stared down at his own hand, not budging to make eye contact with the man before him. “...Patrick?” David whispered before Patrick got too close. Patrick leaned back to search earnestly into his eyes and took a breath, just waiting. “When I said before that I wanted to take this slow, I meant it. Normally I probably would have danced around this whole thing and acted like I wasn't interested and would have wondered if you truly had feelings for me, and now that you do, and you’re my- god- my _roommate_ in the most curious of circumstances, I still want to take this slow. Slower than normal. Now more than ever. Is that...is that okay?”  
  


Patrick exhaled sharply not really believing that their first kiss wasn’t happening, but knowing that David wanted to do everything right only made Patrick want to show David that he was unshakeable. 

“Of course it’s okay, David.” It was David’s turn to exhale. “I would never want you to feel uncomfortable. Since we have the movie, I’d still like to watch it with you and I don’t know, maybe hold your hand if you’ll let me?” Patrick asked tentatively.

“I’d like that,” David replied and showed him he was interested, very interested, and that Patrick’s efforts weren’t unwanted. Patrick warmed at David’s touch and slid their fingers back and forth together until they locked perfectly in place. 

“By the way,” David started with a teasing tone, “are you twelve years old or something?” Patrick furrowed his brow and looked over at David questioningly. “That question on your driveway… asking if I like you?”

“What? I thought you’d like it. You’re into romantic comedies,” Patrick said with a wide smile and squeezed his hand in little pulses. 

“I did. I _do._ I just wanted to get a rise out of you, ” David said with a little sparkle in his eyes and no bite to it. 

“Not a chance, I know I can be a real smooth operator,” he said as he waggled his nonexistent eyebrows at David. 

“Mm, that’s a bit of a stretch,” David muttered, hoping Patrick would catch the snarky comment. He did and let go to pinch David’s side.

* * *

They cleaned up the kitchen enough to their liking and David kissed Patrick on the cheek before returning to the living room to put the movie on, winking back at Patrick in his wake.  
  


They indulged in some hand churned strawberry ice cream from a local creamery with a couple more of the chocolate covered strawberries garnished on top for good measure. At one point David plucked one of his strawberries, delicately tracing it over Patrick’s lips, until he parted them to let him coaxit inside. Patrick admired David beneath him, as he accepted the enrobed berry willingly from him, taking it gently between his teeth. Patrick had this strawberry in his mouth but all he wanted to do was devour David, seeing him as he lay here against him on the couch like this, their gaze steady on each other. It was one of the most romantic moments of David’s life and Patrick let it sit there, rubbing his thumb against David’s cheek until he blushed that of a beautifully blended Rosé. _Patrick’s Rosé_. After a couple of seconds, David looked away from Patrick’s gaze with a shy smile on his face giving himself away. Patrick removed his hand from David’s cheek and settled it in David’s arm, stroking it a few times over his sweater sleeve. To say David’s cashmere was the softest most luxurious feel on the planet was an understatement. Patrick wanted to melt fully into David and all of his premium couture. 

  
David’s favorite movie did not disappoint, though Patrick barely paid attention. He had David Rose attached to him with a marsupial-like grip. It was the most soothing thing Patrick had ever felt wrapped in someone’s arms. He couldn’t tell you the plot or the antics of one Bridget Jones, but he could tell you how David’s jet black silky hair felt between his fingers. He could tell you what it felt like to run his fingertips over one of David’s soft caterpillar-like brows, the weight of his large hands against Patrick’s torso, holding him close and squeezing him during all of the romantic moments. He could tell you how hard he tried to keep his heart still while David laid there against him. The feeling of being in the exact right place at the exact right time in his life. Those were the things he treasured most about their first date. So when it came time for them to go to bed, Patrick was satiated and delighted that their date went so well, the first of many. 

* * *

  
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Patrick whispered into David’s ear, tucking a strand of loose curl behind it. 

“Wha...?” David gasped as he got his bearings, moving around like a sloth in a hammock. 

Patrick’s chest bounced in a small giggle. “You fell asleep at the end of movie, David.” He was back to gently carding his fingers through David’s hair. 

“Oh...mmfhh...” David mumbled, “it’s over already?” He sighed and pressed his head into Patrick’s touch. Really, though, he could stay holding David, smoothing his hair and caressing his cheek for as long as David would let him. It seemed like David was more than willing to let Patrick do what he wanted in that moment and wow, what a change the last few days had made. They’d gone from being on polar ends of the street to exactly six feet on his driveway and now into Patrick’s loving arms. 

Not willing to move the most precious creature he’d ever known, Patrick adjusted them slightly so that he was comfortably laying down on the couch, his legs tucked under David’s, hauling David up higher onto his chest. Patrick laid his head back against the throw pillows, while he kicked and smoothed out the soft faux fur blanket over them. Once they were set in their sleep position, David pulled his hand up from around his own waist where it had been tucked part of the night and now rested it over Patrick’s rapidly beating heart. Almost by unconscious instinct, David was patting it, willing the beating to slow down and in just a few minutes it was back to a normal resting heart rate. 

“Mm, g’night, Patrick,”David whispered into Patrick’s chest. “I really liked our first date.”

Patrick kissed the top of David’s head and whispered back, “you’re welcome, David. There’s more where that came from, sleep well, okay?”   
  
He felt David smile into his chest, “...mm, okay.” David kissed where his head was laying against Patrick’s peck and fell into a deep sleep. A sleep filled with dreams of the man who could see him and accept him for everything he was. Just as he was. Patrick followed him a few minutes later after brainstorming for their next date. Once he figured it out, he shut off the chaos inside his brain and held David impossibly closer, slipping his right hand through David’s left, resting on his heart that was meant for Patrick alone. Nothing felt more natural or perfect than this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sweet Dawns_early_light for help to shape this chapter.  
> Also, worked hard to make sure this date would be in character for these two and just the right amount of hesitation on David's behalf.  
> Hope you liked the chapter ;-)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life has been busy, but I am thankful for lovely friends who have encouraged me to get back to this little story. You know who you are.  
> There's still so much to tell within this little AU. I just ask that you be patient with me as I am easing myself back in. 
> 
> **Thanks again to my beta[dawns_early_light](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawns_early_light/pseuds/dawns_early_light)**
> 
> **Update: 07/19/2020, I am working on a schedule to get this updated. Working hard to get the next chapter out. Just have a lot going on, but I’m getting there!**

It was the most wonderful dream Patrick had ever had; one minute he was a business associate for a small-town realtor and the next he had the most beautiful man he had ever seen wrapped in his arms after the most perfect date of his life. He started to roll over and then heard a little whine coming from his chest. Then an object that was wedged between him and what he assumed was the soft edge of the couch, came to wrap around his torso, patting his side. Patrick looked down and couldn’t see much in the dark, but the moonlight shining through the window rained down on the head of hair resting on his chest. Without thinking much of it, Patrick pinched the object that was draped over his stomach. “Ow,” came a muffled whimper. It took Patrick just a second longer to realize his dream was, in fact, reality, and he had fallen asleep with a cherub in his arms who smelled of cedar and vanilla.  
  
Getting his wits about him again, Patrick breathed in as much as he could without meaning to disturb the man next to him. “Mm, bad dream?” 

Patrick kissed the top of his head. “No, good dreams actually,” Patrick said as he carded his fingers through David’s hair and lazily along his face. “When I woke up, I realized it wasn’t just a dream, it actually happened,” Patrick said and David looked up to gaze at Patrick through sleep-hooded eyes. David grasped even tighter to Patrick’s waist and smacked his lips a little bit before easing himself back into a deep sleep. Patrick just held on and allowed for David to sink into him. Wanting so much to kiss David, he instead used his hand to wrap over David’s and place it over his steady beating heart. 

_  
That will be enough_ , he thought. 

* * *

A few hours later, Patrick woke up for real and noticed David was no longer next to him. Somehow David had gotten up from the couch and managed to not wake Patrick in doing so, a miracle since he was notoriously a light sleeper. 

  
Allowing his body a long stretch and then a yawn, Patrick sprang up from the couch and started on making breakfast. Patrick called from the stairs, hoping David would hear or smell what was happening in the kitchen enough to come out and tell Patrick what he wanted to eat, but there wasn’t one sound coming from the bedroom so Patrick made a meal for just himself and went about his day taking care of the household chores. Wanting to pass more of the time, he made some video calls with his family and a few of Ray’s clients. Still, he kept hope all day that he would see David, but David stayed in his room all day long. At one point, Patrick tried to get the nerve to knock on his bedroom door (which two days ago had been Patrick’s door), but decided against it. He was not going to be _that_ roommate. 

The day was carrying on and Patrick knew a storm was headed towards them, so he put on all of his running gear and ran a brisk 4 miles, burning off the anxiousness and insecurities of the day by pushing them one at a time through the soles of his feat into the pavement. Hearing that steady flap to the ground had always calmed him and today he needed it. 

Upon returning home and making sure everything was secure before the rain began to fall, Patrick noticed the kitchen looked much cleaner; it smelled of leftover steak and mashed potatoes, and one wine glass was out where David had been drinking at the bar. Patrick’s stomach swooped and not in a good way. Something was bothering David and he had a good feeling his name was associated with that particular feeling David was having. Again, instead of addressing it nor bothering to knock on David’s door, Patrick decided to take a shower after he got done pouring random ingredients into a crockpot that somehow formed a healthy dinner for himself.  
  
_  
Don’t push it,_ he thought. 

  
After he got done showering, he descended down the stairs and stopped dead in his descent when he noticed David sitting on the couch with a bowl of soup in hand. “Oh, hi David,” Patrick said tentatively. 

“Hi,” David parroted back. “Sorry that...well…” David was so adorable when he was flustered and unable to speak full sentences. “I didn’t mean to disappear like that,” David explained and it came out so fast Patrick didn't realize if he was hearing it right or not. 

“Sorry, David, what did you say?” 

David cleared his throat and wallowed himself down. “I didn’t mean to disappear, I just felt like maybe...no, no I know I overstepped my boundaries last night. I’m really—“

“ _David_ ,” Patrick interrupted David’s anxious thoughts, “you’re fine. If I didn’t want you to fall asleep with me on the couch I would have said something. Trust me, I wanted that.” It was a moment of sincerity and Patrick worried it was too much too soon, but before he could ruminate in that thought for too long, David smiled reassuringly and apologetically. They had some things to sort out, but this moment was just about them getting to know one another and that was the best part of their quarantine, they had plenty of time to learn. David still wasn't thoroughly convinced he hadn't overstepped his boundaries, so he retreated again, with barely a word, back to his room.

* * *

These were strange times and living in Ray’s house without Ray proved even stranger, especially with having an interest in his new roommate who was choosing, due to his insecurities of social distancing, to actively avoid him now. 

_Perfect._

Light crackled through the sky and the thunder roared all around the house. An hour into the storm and Patrick still couldn’t sleep, so seeing that the power went out, he took a pillow and a couple of blankets downstairs to wait out the storm and reset the clocks when the power returned. 

A funny thing happened when he got to the first floor, he found that his anxiety wasn’t as strong as it was being in Ray’s room. Even though the thunder grumbled and mumbled over the earth, and though the lightning illuminated all over the house, Patrick fell into a deep sleep, that was until there was a nudge to his shoulder, soft and gentle.

“Patrick,” a voice whispered, “hey, are you okay?” Patrick stirred and looked up wordlessly into David’s face. Without any explanation, David sat next to him, a romantic display of the night’s storm dancing all around them. David didn’t break eye contact from Patrick as he sat down on his lap, and this was the moment Patrick was anticipating, where he would hopefully kiss the man he was starting to have feelings for, feelings he couldn’t explain yet to his family, something he was still processing, but he wanted so badly. 

David finally spoke, breaking the tension. “I couldn’t sleep, I kept thinking about how much I probably hurt you today. I just feel like I’m too much sometimes for people and they can’t handle me. I don’t want to ruin our roommate situation either, but...” Patrick put his hand up to David, allowing his hand to feel the warmth coming off of David’s chest.

“It’s okay, I understand. But you’re not too much. I like who you are and I’m glad we get to do this - to uhm - get to be roommates and see if this is real,” Patrick said, and then glanced down at David’s lips which were thick and inviting. David leaned in, Patrick feeling every bit of electricity around them from the lightning again, illuminating the living room. With a loud “BOOM,” they jumped apart from each other, David still in Patrick’s lap. Patrick, in his nervousness, slid his face into David’s neck and hid there, giggling sheepishly. David took the moment and rubbed his hands up and down Patrick’s back, soothing him. He pulled back from David and untangled their limbs from each other. “Maybe we, uhm. Maybe we should just go to bed, our own beds, and try to get some sleep,” Patrick explained and noticed how quickly David’s expression turned from cautiously optimistic to quietly disappointed. The two men retreated to their separate rooms and Patrick spent the next few hours staring at the ceiling hoping someway he could fix what was just broken between them. 

Finally, after what seemed like more than enough self loathing, Patrick tore the duvet off of himself and boldy trudged from the bed to the hall, knocking lightly on the door. “David, are- are you awake?” There was silence, but Patrick pressed on the slightly cracked door which felt as much of an invitation as anything else had between them. The storm was still illuminating the hall and into David’s room, which Patrick timidly stepped into. He came around to the side of the bed where David was laying and noticed how wide-awake David looked when another bolt of lightning shot through the sky. Between the flashes of white light and crashing of thunder, it made sense that David hadn’t been sleeping.  
  
“David…” Patrick started to say as he crouched down next to the bed and then brushed his thumb over David’s cheek. He stroked lightly around his eye, soothing strokes. David looked pained by the thought of moving, but wanted Patrick to slide in next to him. Patrick never took his eyes off of David as he got in the bed, they were so much closer now and David was sitting up, wrapping the extra blanket he had over himself around Patrick’s and his shoulders. David was undeniably beautiful and there was a longing in his eyes Patrick wanted to fulfill.  
  
All at once, David was leaning in again with Patrick still caressing his cheek and looking down at his lips. David took in a slightly sharp inhale as Patrick pressed his lips against his in the stillness of the dark.  
  
David moaned a little into it while moving his hand up to Patrick’s neck and around the back of his head, cradling him while both of Patrick’s hands were holding onto David’s cheeks, moving their chaste kiss into an open-mouth invitation. This, Patrick thought, was the best kiss of his life. He gasped with the realization this was his first kiss with a man and how right it felt. More right than any of his daydreams. David’s lips were every bit as luscious and savory as he had imagined they would be and he melted into David, moving his hands from David’s face back down inside the blanket to David’s thighs, breathing heavily into their kisses until David pulled away, breathless, mouth slicked, jaw slacked, and with the most gorgeous bedroom eyes Patrick had ever seen.  
  
“Patrick, wait,” David said just above a whisper. “I want this, but aren’t you worried, with us being roommates that we are...I don’t know…” He trailed off and looked down at his hand which was still holding the two pieces of the blanket together, keeping them warm.  
  
“I don’t care, David, unless you do,” Patrick said, leaning back into David for another kiss and hopefully a taste of David’s tongue. He got his wish, because what was before a sweet and innocent kiss had turned into more of a desperate and wanting crashing of lips. David was soon pushing his tongue through Patrick’s open mouth, discovering new territory, which Patrick happily let him explore, moaning into the kiss and massaging his tongue against David’s.  
  
Feeling for the first time what it’s like for a man’s tongue to be in his mouth. David’s was gentle and teasing and forceful and hot. David let go of the blanket and pulled Patrick down on top of him, keeping their rhythm. David had a fistful of Patrick’s nightshirt and Patrick had his hands pressed against David’s torso, keeping himself from pressing in too hard to David’s chest. Their legs slotted together and David pressed up into Patrick allowing him to feel the length of his dick along Patrick’s thigh and over to--  
  
“Da-David,” Patrick stammered. “W-We can’t do this, I’m not ready.” Patrick pushed himself off of David and swung his arm over his face to hide his embarrassment of killing the mood. 

“Uhm, okay? What’s wrong?” David stayed still, waiting for Patrick to either look at him or explain. David was so patient with Patrick and it made him nearly sob with how well David was handling this.

“I have spent most of my life thinking I knew what a kiss felt like, and then I met you, and now, here…” Patrick was beginning to say. “David, I want to try this with you,” he said while lifting his arm from his face and feeling bold enough to touch David’s face while he looked at him. “I want to try everything with you, but I need to go slow.”  
  
“Uhm, yeah. That’s fine, I didn’t mean…”  
  
“You didn’t do anything wrong, this is just how I am, I need to analyze and work things out on my own. This is all really new to me. I just need you to continue with being patient. You’re already so patient so I’m hoping you can understand and let me go my own pace.”  
  
“Yes, Patrick, I can be patient with you. We can go at your pace. And for the record, I want to do everything with you too. You’re a really nice person and I haven’t known too many of those in my life, so...in a way, we are both starting something new.”  
  
“Thank you, David,” Patrick leaned in to kiss David on the mouth once more before settling himself down on David’s chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his breathing, the gentle intimate way David was carding through Patrick’s hair. It settled him and soon his rapid breathing from being so turned on and fighting off the urge to go for more became hushed by the soothing strokes of David’s hands lulling him back to a more peaceful state. They fell asleep like that, with the last memory Patrick had of David kissing the top of his head.  
  
There was so much to process and Patrick knew without a doubt in his mind that he was unquestionably gay and he also knew he had feelings for David Rose, the kiss sealed it. Any doubts he had about himself faded away and as he fell in and out of sleep with his many revelations, he had the confidence within himself to know who he really was and that David would be the person to help him to discover more in the days and weeks to come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thankful again to the lovelies who remind me as Moira says; “Never let the bastards get you down.” Such sweet bébés you all are.


End file.
